Gamecocks Drop Second Consecutive SEC Series With 6-3 Loss To Texas A&M

Another series loss, and now below the water line in conference play.

For the fourth time in five series against five power five conference opponents this season, South Carolina baseball has lost the first two games of the series. The Gamecocks dropped last night's game against No. 3 Texas A&M 9-2 after falling behind 4-0 in the frst inning and fell into a similar script Saturday, going down 3-0 in the first inning and eventually losing 5-2.

Texas A&M (28-3, 8-3 SEC) immedietely struck when Gavin Grahovac cracked a lead-off home run off South Carolina (21-10, 5-6 SEC) starter Tyler Pitzer. The red-hot Aggies tacked on two more runs in the opening frame thanks to Hayden Schott's two-run single, and those runs stood up all night.

A two-run third inning provided a few flickers of life for an offense which has been lagely in hibernation this week, with RBIs going to Kennedy Jones and Tyler Causey. But Blake Jackson lined out right back to relief pitcher Shane Sdao with the bases loaded to end the inning.

And once Sdao cleared his one patch of turblance, it was smooth sailing. He traded zeroes with South Carolina reliever Ty Good for most of the middle innings, as the two long reliever both had stellar outings to help preserve their respective bullpens for the Sunday series finale.

Good continued to cement his status as one of the sharpest relievers in South Carolina's bullpen, following last weekend's strong performance at Alabama with 5 2/3 innings and just one unearned run allowed. He kept the Gamecocks in the game, but it did not matter with Sdao onthe other side.

At one point he retired nine straight South Carolina hitters and departed after the seventh with a mere two hits allowed in 4 1/3 innings, carrying the game long enough for star closer Evan Aschenbeck to finish the drill.

The teams traded runs after Sdao and Good departed, but Aschenbeck finished out the game in the ninth to confirm the series victory

Game three of the series will start at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

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