Gamecocks "in a rut" after 9-5 loss to Auburn
It started disastrously and it never recovered for South Carolina baseball.
In a continuation from Friday’s 8-3 loss to Auburn, the Gamecocks allowed four runs in the first inning and failed to re-capture any of the momentum as the Tigers clinched the series with a 9-5 win at Founders Park.
It is South Carolina's (34-8, 13-6 SEC) first home losing streak of the season and also its first home series loss of 2023, condemning the Gamecocks to try to salvage one win out of the weekend in Sunday’s finale.
Auburn (25-17-1, 9-11 SEC) immediately jumped on Jack Mahoney in the first inning, loading the bases with two outs thanks to a double, a walk and a hit batter. Mahoney had two different chances to end the inning with two outs and two strikes, but he could not find the strikeout pitch he needed. Shortstop Cade Foster lined a 1-2 pitch into left field that plated two runs and then after a throwing error by Caleb Denny in from left allowed the other two runners to move up, Kason Howell dropped his own two-run single into right field.
"They stayed on his pitches," Mark Kingston said about Mahoney. "They didn't pull off when he got in fastball counts. When he had to throw the fastball, they got on it. I think you have to tip your cap. Jack competed, they were prepared, but they were on it today."
By the time Mahoney left the mound he had allowed six runs in just 3 ⅓ innings, the most of his career and only the second time he has even allowed more than four earned runs in an outing. It was the second consecutive night South Carolina’s starter had allowed a career-high in earned runs after Will Sanders surrendered eight in the series opener. Auburn’s Cooper McMurray blasted two home runs in the game, leading the way for the Tigers with three runs knocked in.
The deficit grew as large as 8-1 after McMurray’s second home run, a two-run shot off the batter’s eye coming off reliever James Hicks. From there the Gamecocks tried to slowly ship away against a collection of Auburn arms — Christian Herberholz, Chase Isbell and Konner Copeland — but never managed to put an inning larger than two runs together. Part of that was due to two critical baserunning mistakes. In the bottom of the second with runners on second and third and one out Will Tippett grounded to first base, and Denny got caught in a rundown between third and home.
After attempting to turn back he was eventually tagged up when Jonathan French was also hung up between second and third, leading to a disastrous double play. Denny was also doubled off second in the sixth inning on a line drive after he failed to get back to the bag.
"You play so many games that every now and then you're going to have a game or a weekend where it just feels like it's not going to go your way," Kingston said. "Sometimes you get in a rut like that."
The offensive bright spot of the day was Cole Messina, who knocked in four runs and hit South Carolina’s only home run of the weekend to date with a two-run blast in the seventh.
On the injury front Braylen Wimmer did not play after his hamstring injury in Friday’s game. Talmadge LeCroy did pinch-hit in the ninth inning for his first action since Apr. 11, but was unable to run well on a groundout.
Game three of the series is set for 3 p.m. on Sunday.
"The small picture is we lost today," Kingston said. "We're frustrated, we're disappointed, but the big picture is we're going to be fine. We just need to keep battling, get guys healthy and just keep pushing forward."
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