The slide continues, and this one slid away early.

South Carolina baseball lost its fifth consecutive series and 11th SEC game out of its last 12 on Friday night in College Station, a 17-0 annihilation against Texas A&M all but over before the first inning ended. Texas A&M (19-15, 5-9 SEC) scored four runs in the opening frame off South Carolina (20-16, 2-12 SEC) starter Matthew Becker and cruised the rest of the way behind starter Justin Lamkin, who pitched six shutout innings with just three hits allowed.

The loss was South Carolina's heaviest loss since a 24-7 defeat at Mississippi State in 2019,

Just like last night, free passes plauged South Carolina early and often. Gamecock pitchers walked eight batters and hit three more, a problem which started right away. Becker hit two batters and walked another in the first inning, and a first-pitch hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded on catcher Bear Harrison scored the first run of the game. Kaiden Kent added a two-run single, Blake Binderup added a sacrifice fly and the rout was on after just one inning.

Kent hit a two-run homer in the third to all but finish Becker's day, and relievers Cooper Parks and Roman Kimball both struggled to find the strike zone as the Aggies poured it on. Harrison had the two biggest blows against the Gamecock bullpen, two swings for a combined six RBIs with a two-run double off Parks in the fourth and a grand slam against Kimball in the fifth. A&M's offense scored more runs in six offensive innings than it did its first six games of conference play, as the lineup feasted on South Carolina's staff to win its fourth straight conference game.

Offensively, the Gamecocks didn't fare much better. Lamkin completely tied up the South Carolina bats in a performance similar to his seven shutout innings against South Carolina at the 2023 SEC Tournament. A Beau Hollins double in the second inning was the only extra base hit of the game for th offense, and one of just five hits overall.

South Carolina will hit the halfway point of SEC play tomorrow in its series finale at Texas A&M, a 3 p.m. ET first pitch on SEC Network plus. South Carolina has not announced a starting pitcher yet, while Texas A&M will start left-handed junior Myles Patton.

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