Recap: Gamecocks drop another heartbreaker, fall to Vandy in 13 inn.
After a tough one-run loss on Thursday night, South Carolina faced Vanderbilt in Game 2 of a 3-game SEC series Friday at Founders Park. The Gamecocks had a 6-4 conference record with Clarke Schmidt on the mound. How did the Gamecocks fare?
FINAL: Vanderbilt 5, South Carolina 3 (13 Inn.)
LINESCORE
VAN (21-11) – 000 200 001 000 2 = 5-10-1
USC (20-10) – 003 000 000 000 0 = 3-7-0
WP – Matt Ruppenthal (1-1)
LP – Reed Scott (1-2)
SV – None
HR – VAN, Julian Infante (13th, 1 on)
RBI – Bride (1), Cortes (1).
LOB – USC 10, VAN 8.
A – 7,412 (Announced)
Time – 4:12
Gamecock Pitchers: Clarke Schmidt (7.0, 109 pitches), Josh Reagan (0.2, 9 pitches), Colie Bowers (4.0 IP, 67 pitches, Reed Scott (0.2, 11 pitches), Colby Lee (0.2 IP, 10 pitches).
HIGHLIGHTS
--. Clarke Schmidt was flawless early, retiring the first 10 Vanderbilt batters before allowing a one-out double in the top of the fourth. Vanderbilt starter Kyle Wright matched him pitch-for-pitch in the early going until the bottom of the third.
-- However, Wright was helped out by a baserunning blunder by Jacob Olson in the bottom of the second. Olson broke for second on a 3-1 pitch to LT Tolbert and the throw down arrived with plenty of time to tag out Olson when the Vanderbilt catcher fired down to second. Unbeknownst to Olson, ball four was called by the home plate umpire. Thinking he had been caught stealing, Olson strayed off the base and was tagged out.
-- The Gamecocks broke through against Wright in the bottom of the third when an error and then a late throw to second opened the door for a big inning. After a HBP loaded the bases, Jonah Bride singled home a run. Alex Destino’s double play grounder produced another run (but no RBI) before DH Carlos Cortes, battling cleanup for just the second time this season, rifled a RBI single to right for the final run of the inning.
-- Vanderbilt, though, replied with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth as Schmidt encountered his first difficulty of the night. Four straight Commodore batters doubled, singled (RBI), walked and singled before a run scored on a wild pitch. Schmidt escaped additional damage with a strikeout and fly out.
-- Schmidt settled down nicely after allowing two runs in the top of the fourth. He allowed only a 2-out single in the fifth and set down the ‘Dores in order in the sixth on a groundout and two strikeouts. When the top of the sixth ended, Schmidt had nine strikeouts, one walk and 85 pitches thrown. He recorded his 10th strikeout for the first out in the top of the seventh. Moments later, he fanned his 11th Vandy batter.
-- Josh Reagan took the mound for the top of the eighth and promptly allowed a leadoff single, but he fanned the next batter and then induced a soft liner to short. With Tyler Johnson still unavailable, Colie Bowers was called upon from the bullpen and the only batter he faced to foul out to the catcher.
-- In the top of the ninth, Bowers walked the leadoff batter. Next came the obligatory sacrifice bunt. With the tying run in scoring position, Bowers got the third Vandy batter to pop up to short, a key out. However, with Vanderbilt down to their last out, the fourth batter slotted a Bowers pitch through the hole into left for a game-tying RBI single. USC had the winning run on base in the bottom of the ninth by virtue of a one-out infield single by Bride, but he never advanced into scoring position.
-- Bowers kept Vandy scoreless in the 10th and 11th innings. But the Gamecock batters continued to fire blanks, remaining scoreless since the bottom of the 3rd. In the bottom of the 12th, Jonah Bride was robbed of extra basses by the Vanderbilt left fielder, who made a nice running catch for the first out in the bottom of the 12th.
-- Vanderbilt’s Julian Infante, who hit a bomb onto the concourse in Friday night’s game, gave Vanderbilt a 5-3 lead in the top of the 13th with a 2-run shot into the visitor’s bullpen off Scott. Colby Lee escaped a first and third, 1 out jam with a popup and grounder.
-- Vanderbilt pitcher Matt Ruppenthal completed a brilliant relief outing by setting down the Gamecocks in order in the bottom of the 13th. In 7.0 innings pitched, he allowed just two hits with no walks and three strikeouts on 78 pitches.
HOW THE RUNS SCORED:
USC 3rd –Stokes reached on throwing error (E4), Blair reached on fielder's choice (Stokes safe at second), Williams hit by pitch, Bride singled to left (RBI), Destino grounded into 6-4-3 double play (Run scored), Cortes singled to right (RBI), Olson singled to left-center, Tolbert grounded to second. 3 RUNS, 3 HITS (USC 3-0)
VAN 4th – Kendall struck out swinging, Scott doubled to right-center, Infante singled to left-center (RBI), Toffey walked, Grisanti singled to center, Infante scored on wild pitch, Delay struck out swinging, Bleday flied to center. 2 RUNS, 3 HITS (USC 3-2).
VAN 9th - Toffey walked, Coleman sacrificed on bunt, Delay popped up to short, Hayes singled to left (RBI), Jones struck out swinging. 1 RUN, 1 HIT (TIED 3-3).
VAN 13th - Kendall lined out to right, Scott singled through the right side, Infante homered to left-center (2 RBI), Toffey walked, <Lee for Scott>, Duvall singled to left-center, Delay fouled out to pitcher (bunt), Ry grounded to pitcher. 2 RUNS, 3 HITS (VAN 5-3).
