Texas claims series win over USC as Gamecock lineup shut down
Everything’s bigger in Texas, so they say, but in the past two baseball games there, South Carolina has emerged on the wrong side of a small run total.
Saturday, the Gamecocks fell, 3-0, to the Longhorns to drop their first series of the season.
After scoring just one run in a series-opening loss Friday, the No. 12 Gamecocks (11-2) have not scored in 16 innings. That meant another solid starting pitching performance went to waste, as senior right-hander Brannon Jordan gave up three hits in five-plus innings Saturday, striking out six batters on just 85 pitches.
Jordan escaped the first jam he faced in the fourth after hitting the leadoff batter. He then allowed a double after a fielder’s choice to put runners on second and third. After intentionally walking the next hitter to load the bases, he came back with two strikeouts to end the frame.
One inning later, though, Texas finally got to him. Redshirt freshman DH Peyton Powell led the inning off by lofting a fly ball to left that caught a favorable gust of wind and just barely carried the wall for a solo home run. Two batters later, freshman second baseman Mitchell Daly left no doubt by smoking another solo shot to left.
The Longhorns tacked on some insurance in the eighth, using two walks, a wild pitch and a pair of balks to push across a run against the USC bullpen. But they didn’t need it as the Gamecocks stranded eight runners and hit a paltry 2-for-14 with runners on.
Carolina’s best chance came in third, when senior shortstop George Callil led off with a single, followed by a double from junior outfielder Brady Allen to put runners on second and third with no outs.
A groundout back to the pitcher froze the runners, though, and after an intentional walk to junior slugger Wes Clarke, the Longhorns escaped the jam by turning a double play.
USC once more put a runner on third with one out in the fifth inning when sophomore catcher Colin Burgess reached on an error, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, and moved to third on a single from Allen. He was stranded, though, after back-to-back strikeouts.
NEXT USC BASEBALL GAME
Who: No. 12 South Carolina (11-2) vs. No. 19 Texas (10-5)
When: 12 p.m. Sunday
Where: UFCU Disch-Falk Field
Watch: Longhorn Network
This story was originally published March 13, 2021 at 6:43 PM.
