Through the first four innings of Thursday’s game, Clarke Schmidt and Alex Faedo were locking in what seemed like a staring contest. Schmidt blinked first.

The Gamecocks dropped game one of the series against Florida, 1-0. It’s the fifth-straight series-opening game they’ve lost. The last series-opening win came March 17 against Tennessee.

It’s only the second time they’ve been shutout this season, the first coming Feb. 19 against UNCG.

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Schmidt, fresh off an 11-strikeout performance last weekend against Mississippi State, didn’t allow a run through the first four innings of the game, but the second time through the lineup the Gators got to him.

After a two-out double from Christian Hicks, Keenan Bell poked a RBI single up the middle to break the tie. Schmidt would be pulled in the sixth inning after experiencing arm soreness after the RBI single.

He missed one start earlier this season against Tennessee with an oblique injury. No timetable is set for a return, and he’ll be evaluated over the next few days.

Reed Scott and Josh Reagan would relieve the junior righty and would give up no runs on one hit in the final 2.2 innings.

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Faedo dealt problems to the Gamecock hitters all game long—almost literally—pitching 8.2 innings of shutout baseball while giving up just three hits. He struck out nine batters, six swinging.

He left the game with one out left to get after walking Alex Destino in the ninth.

The Gamecocks were without a hit through the first two innings of the game and pieced together just two hits through seven innings.

In only two innings would the Gamecocks put runners in scoring position. Madison Stokes would get all the way to third base in the fifth, reaching on a lead-off double and moving to third on a groundout.

He would fail to score as Jacob Olson hit a soft liner to short to end the half inning.

Stokes would also reach second base in the seventh, getting to first on a two-out walk and moving into scoring position on a fielding error one batter later. He would be stranded there after another groundout.

They would finish the game grounding out seven times and hitting 0-for-12 with runners on base and 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. The Gamecocks have now lost two of their last three games against the Gators dating back to last season.

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Pivot point: After a momentum ruining double play for Florida, Christian Hicks doubled to left field and would come into score a batter later. He was the only player to cross the plate all game.

Player of the game: Madison Stokes was for South Carolina, picking up one of the three Gamecock hits Thursday, a double to lead off the fifth inning. He got farther than any other person on the South Carolina team, making it all the way to third.

Up next: Game two is Friday night at 7 p.m. Wil Crowe will start and the game will be televised on the SEC Network.