South Carolina’s pitchers have been a strength of the team all season, but Sunday the staff struggled early on and it ultimately resulted in getting swept on the road at Texas.
The Longhorns put up eight runs, tied for the most given up by the Gamecocks all season and the most given up in a series all year, on 11 hits as South Carolina lost 8-5.
The Gamecocks (11-3) now head home for a midweek game before starting SEC play on the road at Vanderbilt Friday.
“I’m disappointed with the weekend, with the results, but we learned a lot about our team that we can take forward, both good and bad,” Mark Kingston said. “We learned a lot about this team and this squad. We’ll make whatever adjustments we feel like we need to make. We’ll be better for having played this weekend.”
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It was a pretty nip-and-tuck affair through three innings but Texas was able to create separation in the fourth.
The Gamecocks gave up four in the inning, seeing their two-run deficit balloon to six on four hits and an error.
Andy Peters relieved starter Julian Bosnic, allowing both inherited runners to score and giving up two more run-scoring hits in an inning. Bosnic, who hadn’t allowed a hit in his career so far, gave up four Sunday.
The left-hander battled command issues in three-plus innings, walking four to three strikeouts and would get charged with six runs (four earned). Of his 86 pitches, only 47 were strikes.
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It was not a clean day for the Gamecocks defensively with three errors, one hit batter and a failed pickoff attempt, which kept the third inning alive and allowed Texas to plate two runs, breaking a 2-2 tie.
A Gamecock pitching staff that was lights-out for the most part the first two games walked four batters to only six strikeouts.
“The biggest thing is if you’re willing to schedule these kinds of series you need to be willing to take the punches and the hard lessons sometimes,” Kingston said. “We got a couple hard lessons this weekend. The key is to make the adjustments that need to be made.”
South Carolina’s offensive struggles with runners on base continued Sunday with the Gamecocks hitting 6-for-24 with runners on, 3-for-18 with runners in scoring position while stranding 13 more.
The Gamecocks took advantage of a few Texas miscues, plating two runs on wild pitches, and got another run on a Wes Clarke homer—his team-best ninth of the year.
His homer came after he had a few near misses this weekend and again in his first at-bat.
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“Wes could have easily had four homers this weekend. It just wasn’t meant to be, but he hit four balls that could have easily been homers anywhere,” Kingston said. “Like I said, it wasn’t meant to be but he’s definitely swinging the bat really well.”
They’d still be able to get on base, putting a runner on in all but one inning with five extra base hits, but struggled to move them over or drive in runs Sunday.
South Carolina mounted a mini-comeback in the ninth getting two runs on three hits, but stranded two on a fielder’s choice to end the game.
It’s the first time the Gamecocks have been swept since 2019 (at Missouri) and the first time they’ve lost three straight games since losing seven straight in the 2019 season.
