Gamecocks drop final game, series against Vanderbilt

South Carolina made two big mistakes in Saturday’s series finale at Vanderbilt, and the Commodores made USC pay.

No. 3 Vanderbilt plated five runs in the fifth inning, one in the sixth and three in the seventh en route to a 10-6 victory over the fifth-ranked Gamecocks to clinch the series 2-1.

Vandy’s five-run fifth inning saw South Carolina go from up 4-1 to down 6-4 was aided by two mishaps by USC outfielders.

Vandy had cut the lead to 4-2 and had two on with no outs when Alonzo Jones hit a fly ball to right that dropped for a double and cut the deficit to one as TJ Hopkins overran the ball and was unable to make the catch.

Following a popup, left fielder Dom Thompson-Williams dropped a routine fly ball that allowed another run to score to tie the game at 4.

The inning could’ve been over, but instead Penn Murfee doubled to center to give the Commodores a 6-4 lead.

“We opened the door for them in the fifth inning, and they walked through it. You can’t do that against a really good team,” Carolina coach Chad Holbrook said. “You’ve got to play as good, if not better than your opponent and get some key hits at critical times, and we didn’t play better than our opponent today.”

The conditions were tough as the wind was blowing straight out with gusts at more than 20 miles per hour, but Holbrook said both plays could’ve been made.

Had USC gotten out of the inning with a lead, the entire bullpen was available as Gamecocks relievers threw only one inning the first two games of the series.

“I know they were difficult conditions today, but they were difficult conditions for them too, and we’ve got to make those plays,” Holbrook said. “If we do, I feel good about the position that we’re in, up 4-1 and had our bullpen loaded and ready to go. You feel good about your chances, but we kind of gave them some opportunities and they cashed in on us.”

USC starter Adam Hill allowed seven baserunners to reach in the first four innings, but Carolina still led 4-1 entering the bottom of the fifth when the Commodores took their first lead of the game.

DC Arendas hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning to tie the game at 6-6 before Jeren Kendall gave the Commodores the lead for good with a solo home run in the bottom half of the inning.

Vandy added three insurances runs in the seventh off USC reliever Tyler Johnson.

Arendas finished 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs, while Thompson-Williams went 2-for-5 with two RBIs.

South Carolina allowed eight hits and seven walks, with Hill issuing five of the free passes. The Gamecocks struck out 14 times in the loss.

“Way too many strikeouts today, that’s unacceptable,” Holbrook said. “We’ve got to go back to work on that. We’ve got to be more competitive at the batter’s box. We’ve got to move the ball better to be the offensive team that we want to be, and we’re going to go to work on that this week.”

THREE POINTS

Star of the game: Jeren Kendall: The right fielder went 2-for-5 with a double and a solo home run in the sixth inning that was blasted out of the stadium and put Vandy ahead to stay.

Plays of the game: The two mistakes in the outfield completely turned the game around after Carolina appeared in control with a 4-1 lead entering the bottom of the fifth inning.

Stat of the game: 8: South Carolina gave up eight free passes with seven walks and a hit batter. That is way too many against any SEC opponent, especially a top-five team.

OBSERVATIONS

Arendas making progress: The second baseman is known for his defense, but has contributed at the plate each of the past two games. He is 3-for-5 with a walk in his past five at bats with a homer and three runs scored.

Hitters lacking confidence: South Carolina struck out 14 times on Saturday, and several of the strikeouts were on tentative swings. USC needs to regain some confidence before facing Coastal Carolina on Tuesday.

Hill struggling with command: The freshman has walked eight batters in his last two starts after walking only four in his previous five starts.

NEXT

What: South Carolina vs. Coastal Carolina

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Founders Park

Probable pitchers: USC –TBA; Coastal Carolina – TBA

Watch: SEC Network

Radio: 107.5 FM

This story was originally published April 2, 2016 at 6:22 PM with the headline "Gamecocks drop final game, series against Vanderbilt."