Gamecocks use masterful pitching to take Game 1 over LSU
Over the last 72 hours, South Carolina experienced its lowest moment of the season followed by arguably the highest peak of the year to date.
After a “gut-punch” loss to Presbyterian Tuesday night, the Gamecocks responded with a masterful pitching performance from Logan Chapman and timely hitting to bludgeon No. 19 LSU 11-0 in a series-opening win.
“I told them I was proud that after our worst game of the year, we played our best,” head coach Mark Kingston said. “We were really low on Tuesday but we picked ourselves up. We tweaked how we were going to prepare for this weekend and it paid off.”
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Chapman, making his second career SEC start, gave the Gamecocks (21-17, 7-9 SEC) an immediate boost, giving up just one hit over the first six innings, eventually finishing with two hits over a career-high 6.2 shutout innings.
After hitting the leadoff batter, the true freshman retired 16 of the next 19 batters he faced, picking up his first-career SEC win and setting the pitching staff up nicely with Adam Hill and Cody Morris still left to pitch.
“Well he didn’t give any runs, so that’s a nice place to start on Friday night,” Kingston said. “To me that’s a guy that’s really, really making nice progress..If he pitches like that, he is a Friday night guy.”
Chapman (3-0, 3.29 ERA) give way to Sawyer Bridges, who got out of a two-on, two-out jam with a ground ball back to the pitcher before throwing a perfect inning in the eighth.
Bridges hasn’t given up a run over his last seven innings pitched, all in the SEC, and was met with a massive bear hug from Chapman after getting out of trouble Friday night.
“That was absolutely not rehearsed,” Chapman said, smirking. “I knew Sawyer was going to come in and get a really huge out there because I knew how big of a bulldog he is on the mound. It was just a really hype moment.”
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Offensively, the Gamecocks got off to a hot start, getting a solo shot from Carlos Cortes in the first inning. It’s the sophomore’s ninth of the year, tying him with Jacob Olson for the team lead.
Cortes finished 3-for-4 and a triple shy of the cycle while also driving in two runs and scoring three times. He'd notch his eighth multi-hit game of the year and sixth since SEC play started.
Starting his first game since March 20 after being hit in the hand by a pitch, TJ Hopkins picked up where he left off, going 2-for-5 with four RBI, a new season high.
Three came on a triple as part of a six-run eighth inning for the Gamecocks to help put Friday’s game away late.
Hopkins didn’t start the last 16 games with a wrist injury before coming in Friday night to end an arduous month. The four RBI were the most he’s collected in a game this year.
“When I got hit against Florida, I thought I’d be out for a day or a game,” he said. “But it was unfortunate and it was hard to watch five weeks without playing any. Tonight the first at-bat I was a little lost up there, I’m not going to lie. I had to take a deep breath.”
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The Gamecocks notched double-digit hits in an SEC game for the first time since April 7 against Kentucky and just the fourth time in 16 games.
It was also the first shutout of a conference opponent this season as the Gamecocks put up at least one run in four innings en route to what could be a tone setting win.
“That’s the most complete game I think I’ve been a part of in my three years here,” Hopkins said.
Up next: South Carolina tries to take the series in game two at 4 p.m. Saturday. Adam Hill (3-4, 4.65 ERA) will start for the Gamecocks.