Gamecocks offense sputters in series opener
Before Friday night's series opener against Clemson, Michael Roth strode to the mound he threw from countless times a decade ago and delivered a high fastball for the ceremonial first pitch.
The legend of Roth was born 10 years ago against the team currently in the visitors’ dugout.
But, as the game unfurled over the next three hours, it was Clemson starter Sam Weatherly who put together the Michael Roth-esque performance.
Weatherly pitched seven shutout innings as the Gamecocks were one-hit in a 7-1 loss to Clemson Friday night at Founders Park.
“It was a tough night and we’re ready to move on," Mark Kingston said. "We got outplayed tonight and need to come out and play better tomorrow.”
Weatherly finished with seven no-hit innings, striking out 11 to just three walks. Of the 25 batters he faced, 15 saw first pitch strikes.
"He had a lot better command than he showed," Kingston said. "That being said, he had 22 strikeouts in 10 innings coming in; he was striking out 2.2 guys an inning. It’s real stuff. Bottom line it’s real stuff. We needed to battle better, but it’s real good.”
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The Gamecocks put just five runners on base—three via the walk, one hit by pitch and one hit—with Clemson carrying a no-hitter into the ninth inning before Brady Allen launched a solo shot to left leading off the inning.
They'd finish hitting 1-for-27 with 13 strikeouts, not being able to piece together anything against.
Before the ninth, the Gamecocks (6-3) put one runner in scoring position with Braylen Wimmer sacrifice bunting over Dallas Beaver, who drew a leadoff walk in the third. That was the only inning South Carolina put more than one runner on base in the same inning.
They'd put just two runners on the final five innings.
"He’s a good pitcher, obviously. He had 22 strikeouts coming in to this game in two games. He’s a very talented pitcher," said Noah Campbell, who finished 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. "He was 92-95 throwing a good slider with good movement on his fastball. We have to come out ready tomorrow to swing the bats.”
After flirting with trouble his first three innings, starter Carmen Mlodzinski hit trouble in the fourth.
He'd put a runner on in the first three innings, working out of it each time, before giving up a leadoff double and a two-run home run to Dylan Brewer before giving up two more two-run homers over the course of his outing: one to Davis Sharpe and another to Kier Meredith.
All three homers came on two-strike counts.
"I didn’t put them away when I had to, when I needed it," Mlodzinski (1-1, 4.50 ERA) said.
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Friday's start finished an uncharacteristic performance for the projected first-round pick, giving up six runs on 10 hits, both season highs, and walking one. He did strike out eight but also had a throwing error and an error on a pick off attempt.
It's Mlodzinski's first loss since his freshman season and the first time he's pitched at least six innings and got tagged with the loss.
“He left a lot of balls up in the zone," Kingston said. "He was able to match (Weatherly) pitch for pitch for three innings and starting the fourth inning he left a bunch of balls up. He can’t do that.”
Cam Tringali relieved him, giving up a two-out walk and triple that plated a run in the seventh.
A strength of South Carolina's pitching staff so far this season was limiting extra base hits, with teams slugging just .303 through eight games while Clemson offensively slugged .326 this year.
The Tigers finished with seven extra base hits: three doubles, a triple and three home runs.
The Gamecocks made four errors Friday night compared to Clemson's zero. It's the largest margin of defeat to Clemson since losing 7-0 in 2015.
“That’s the great thing about baseball," Campbell said. "We do get to play in less than 24 hours. We get to play in another great environment against them again. Hopefully we’ll come out tomorrow ready to go.”
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Player of the game: Trey Tujetsch and Brett Thomas combined to pitch two scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth, allowing just one base runner on a walk and Tujetsch striking out two.
Pivotal moment: Facing Dylan Brewer, Mlodzinski worked a 1-2 count and, after a foul ball, pitching coach Skylar Meade came out for a mound visit. The very next pitch was driven to right for a two-run homer, the go-ahead hit.
Up next: Game two of the series is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Segra Park in Columbia on the ACC Network Extra. RHP Thomas Farr (1-0, 3.86 ERA) is the scheduled starter, making his first start on the weekend.