South Carolina baseball comes through late, avoids sweep at Alabama
On Friday evening, in the fifth inning in a game a part of South Carolina baseball’s series at Alabama, Parker Noland lined a ball up the middle and two runs scored.
Why is that noteworthy?
It was the only time in the first 24 innings of South Carolina’s series at Alabama in which the Gamecocks plated a runner from scoring position.
An infuriating, maddening 24 innings in Tuscaloosa.
In the seventh inning on Saturday, though, South Carolina got things going and notched a 9-8 victory to avoid the sweep,
Cole Messina ripped a two-RBI double that gave the Gamecocks a lead over the Crimson Tide.
To that point, No. 18 South Carolina was 1 for 26 with runners in scoring position. One for 26!
The Gamecocks fell 4-3 in the opener on Thursday and lost the series on Friday with a 13-6 defeat. It was a frustrating, somewhat unsettling series for the Gamecocks.
But if you’re coach Mark Kingston, at least you saw the floodgates open — even if it took 24 innings. As they say, better late than never.
After Messina’s clutch hit on Saturday afternoon, Ethan Petry provided some deja vu, roping a two-RBI double into left field. Gavin Casas kept the party going with an RBI-single.
It was an encouraging end to what was supposed to be an encouraging weekend.
Six days ago, Kingston sat inside Founders Park feeling as content as any skipper in the country. His Gamecocks had swept No. 3 Vanderbilt and didn’t just win the weekend, but dominated every night.
Against the 16th-ranked Crimson Tide, though, there was little to be content with — expect the fight of the Gamecocks, who could’ve very easily quit on Saturday but fought late to grab the win.
South Carolina sent freshman Tyler Pitzer to the mound on Saturday for just his second collegiate start. After a phenomenal outing last week, the freshman struggled, allowing three home runs (four earned runs).
But he kept the Gamecocks within striking distance. And, finally, they capitalized. They changed the narrative.
In the opener, the narrative centered around Kingston’s decision-making. With the game tied in the eighth, Talmadge LeCroy came up with runners on the corners and just one out. Kingston had LeCroy — who had doubled earlier in the night — try to bunt. On his second attempt, he popped up the bunt to the pitcher.
“Look, it’s a play that if you execute it, it’s not defensible,” Kingston told reporters after the game. “And it could’ve given us that one more run that could’ve been the difference. Sometimes you just don’t get it done.”
On Friday, as the Gamecocks tried to even the series, South Carolina fell in a hole quickly. Starter Dyaln Eskew didn’t even make it through the third, giving up five earned runs.
Even for all the good that came Saturday, as South Carolina kept battling and finished the afternoon 4 for 9 with runners in scoring position, the Gamecocks couldn’t snatch the win without drama.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Alabama scored four runs on Gamecocks reliever Garrett Gainey, capitalizing off a number of poor defensive plays from South Carolina.
At one point, Casas slipped trying to catch a routine pop-up. A few pitches later, Petry dove for a liner, but the ball darted under his glove and runs scored.
Heck, the Tide should’ve had the bases loaded with a chance to win it, but following an infield single, Alabama’s TJ McCants came too far off third base. LeCroy noticed and fired the ball to Will Tippett for the final out.
Better late than never.
Schedule: Next four games
- Wednesday: vs. Georgia Southern, 7 pm (SEC Network)
- Friday: vs. Texas A&M, 7 pm (SEC Network Plus)
- Saturday: vs. Texas A&M, 4 pm (SEC Network Plus)
- Sunday: vs. Texas A&M, 1:30 pm (SEC Network Plus)
This story was originally published March 30, 2024 at 5:25 PM.
