Gamecocks drop another close game, aided by defensive lapses

When LT Tolbert’s home run landed on the concrete concourse Thursday to cut a five-run deficit to two, the Gamecocks felt like they were going to win. Chad Holbrook did, Tolbert did, and the dugout’s mood changed after that.

“I felt pretty good at that point because that gave us a little spark and it got the momentum back on our side,” Tolbert said. “We did feel good about ourselves at that point.”

The Gamecocks would tack on another run in the inning, making it a one-run game and swinging momentum quickly to the home dugout. They couldn’t capitalize on the momentum, dropping game one to Vanderbilt 7-6.

Defensive lapses spotted the Commodores six runs through the game’s first five innings. They scored two runs in the second on a flubbed grounder and a ball Jonah Bride knocked down but couldn’t field cleanly later in the inning.

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In the fifth, Jeren Kendall was caught in a rundown and would come around to score after Bride ran into him on the base path and was called for interference. It would put the ‘Dores up 4-1, but it looked like Kendall leaned into Bride heading back to third to avoid a tag.

“That’s the rule. It was Jonah’s mistake; it was our mistake,” head coach Chad Holbrook said. “That Kendall, he’s hard to get out in that play, but it was the right call.”

Three batters later, Jason Delay would triple to left-center on a ball both outfielders Alex Destino and TJ Hopkins lost in the lights and the gale force winds blowing out to Blossom Street.

That triple would plate two more runs and make it an almost unreachable 6-1 lead for Vanderbilt.

“Wind played a big role in fly balls tonight,” Destino said. “off the bat, I thought it was going to be routine. I was sprinting to my left. I yelled at TJ ‘it’s coming, it’s coming.’ It ended up pushing over there and that’s a tough play for him.”

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Thursday’s loss is the Gamecocks’ sixth one-run loss this season, and eight of the team’s nine losses have been by no more than two runs.

“One-run losses are tough, they’re difficult. That’s what happens in this league. You can tuck your head between your legs and run away or you can put your big boy pants on and come to the park ready to go tomorrow. I hope I got the group that will do the latter.”

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The Gamecocks try and even the series Friday night when Clarke Schmidt takes the bump. Tolbert, who has 10 RBIs in his last six games, thinks they’ll be able to rebound from yet another close loss.

“This is a resilient team,” he said. “We’re going to keep fighting.”