South Carolina came into today's game hoping to complete a road series sweep at Florida but never quite got their footing. The game began on a high note for South Carolina as Cole Messina doubled to lead off the game, but he was left stranded, setting the tone for a game of missed opportunities for the Gamecocks who went 1-15 (.067) with runners in scoring position today at the plate.
Matthew Becker started on the mound for South Carolina and managed to keep the game scoreless in the first inning despite some initial control issues. The Gamecocks took a slight edge in the second inning when Kennedy Jones and Dalton Reeves' efforts led to the first run, putting them ahead briefly.
The lead was short-lived, however, as the Gators responded in the bottom of the second inning. Florida's bats came alive with Ty Evans and Brody Donay each hitting two-run homers and Jac Caglianone adding a solo shot as part of a five-run explosion that drastically shifted the momentum, giving the Gators a 5-1 lead.
Despite a resilient two-run homer by Ethan Petry in the third inning that narrowed the gap to 5-3, the Gamecocks struggled to capitalize on their opportunities. This theme persisted into the crucial sixth inning, which proved pivotal in deciding the game's outcome.
In the top of the sixth, South Carolina once again showed sparks of a comeback as Parker Noland's double drove in two runs, making it a close 6-5 game. However, the Gamecocks' pitching could not contain the Gators' lineup. Florida expanded their lead significantly in the bottom of the sixth, thanks to a series of hits and strategic base running that culminated in yet another five-run inning. This surge was highlighted by key hits from Dale Thomas and Michael Robertson, each knocking in runs to stretch the lead to 11-5.
The 8th inning saw another golden opportunity for South Carolina to close the gap. Talmadge Lecroy and Dylan Brewer started the inning with singles, and a walk loaded the bases with no outs. A series of misplays by the Gators, including an errant throw and a wild pitch, allowed the Gamecocks to score two runs, narrowing the score to 11-7.
However, the rally was curtailed when Parker Noland grounded into a double play and Ethan Petry struck out, effectively ending the inning with the Gamecocks still trailing by four runs. The failure to fully capitalize on loaded bases was a bit of a microcosm of the day at the plate for South Carolina, despite scoring 9 runs.
South Carolina's relief pitchers, Dylan Eskew, Chris Veach, Jake McCoy, and Michael Polk all had some nice moments but gave up too many untimely hits to the Gators anytime the Gamecock offense seemed to be gaining any momentum, most notably Eskew and Veach's combined 5 earned runs allowed in 6th after the Gamecocks had pulled back within just one run.
Overall, the game was a tale of Florida coming through with runners on base, and South Carolina's potential being limited by their continued inability to come through with clutch hits with runners in scoring position.
South Carolina had one more shot in the top of the 9th, entering the inning down just 4 runs, and Dalton Reeves came through with a one-out, two-run home run to cut the lead to 2, but Florida pitcher Fisher Jameson closed out the final two batters to end the threat.
Still, South Carolina scored a nice series win this weekend on the road in the SEC, and kept all their post-season dreams still alive, though they have a tough stretch coming in the next few weeks facing back-to-back top 10 teams (#1 Arkansas and #8 Kentucky) the next two weekends.
Next up: South Carolina has a mid-week matchup in Charleston vs. The Citadel on Tuesday night at 6 pm before hosting the #1 Arkansas Razorbacks next weekend for a Fri-Sun series.
