After some late inning heroics in Sunday’s win over Mississippi State, South Carolina faced Davidson (University of Steph Curry?) at Founders Park. The Gamecocks were 22-13 with Cody Morris on the mound. How did the Gamecocks fare?
FINAL: South Carolina 3, Davidson 2
LINESCORE
DAV (18-16): = 000 200 000 = 2-7-1
USC (23-13): = 000 000 20x – 3-3-2
WP – Colie Bowers (3-0)
LP – Austin Leonard (0-1)
SV – Tyler Johnson (5)
HR – DAV, Will Robertson (4th, none on), Brian Fortier (4th, none on)
RBI – Jacob Olson (2), Jonah Bride (1).
LOB – USC 8, DAV 10
A – 6,750 (Announced)
Time – 3:03
Gamecock Pitchers: Cody Morris (3.2, 62 pitches), Colby Lee (1.0 IP, 37 pitches), Reed Scott (1.2, 21 pitches), Colie Bowers (1.2, 28 pitches), Tyler Johnson (1,0, 15 pitches).
HIGHLIGHTS
-- The Gamecocks had a golden opportunity to score in the bottom of the first as an error, walk and double steal put two runners into scoring position with one out, but a strikeout and flyout ended the threat.
-- Gamecock starter Cody Morris cruised through the first three innings, facing just one batter over the minimum. He allowed just a harmless 2-out single in the top of the third after retiring the first eight Davidson batters.
-- After neither team scored in the first three innings, Davidson snapped the scoreless duel with a pair of solo homers in the top of the fourth. The first landed in the visitor’s bullpen in left-center. The second landed about halfway up the bleachers overlooking left field.
-- Trailing 2-0, the Gamecocks continued to struggle to generate much offense against Hudson. Danny Blair led off the bottom of the fifth with a walk, but advanced no farther as a foul pop and fly out preceded his caught stealing.
-- The Gamecocks finally got their first hit of the game in the bottom of the seventh when Jonah Bride rifled a double into the right-centerfield gap. He beat the throw back to the infield with a head-first slide. After a walk and sacrifice, the managerial wheels began to turn. USC head coach Chad Holbrook called upon seldom-used Ross Grosvenor to PH for Blair, but Davidson made a pitching change and John Jones came to the plate. He was hit by a pitch to load the basses.
-- Jacob Olson came to the plate and flared a single into right-center field that scored two runs to even the score at 2-2. The next two batters flied to center to keep the score knotted going to the eighth.
-- Bride delivered another big hit in the bottom of the eighth as he doubled home Alex Destino with the eventual game-winning run. Destino had led off with a walk and was sacrificed to second.
-- Tyler Johnson came on for the top of the ninth and gave up a one-out double to right-center, but fanned the next two batters for his fifth save of the season. He now has 18 strikeouts in 9.2 IP. Davidson stranded 10 runners and lost despite outhitting the Gamecocks by more than a 2-to-1 margin.
HOW THE RUNS SCORED:
DAV 2nd – Robertson homered to left-center (RBI), Acosta popped to second, Fortier hmered to left (RBI), Jones reached on fielding error (E5), Sidwell struck out swinging, Lebek hit by pitch, <Lee for Morris>, Bazin grounded into fielder's choice (U-5). 2 RUNS, 2 HITS (DAV 2-0).
USC 7th - Bride doubled to right-center, Williams walked, Stokes sacrificed (5-3), Jones (PH) hit by pitch, Olson singled to right-center (2 RBI), Cortes flied to center, Taylor flied to center. 2 RUNS, 2 HITS (Tied 3-2).
USC 8th - Destino walked, Tolbert sacrificed (2-3), Bride doubled to left (RBI), Williams popped to third, Stokes struck out swinging. 1 RUN, 1 HIT (USC 3-2).
