A strange, almost serene environment took over Founders Park on Wednesday afternoon.
With the men’s basketball game of the year happening down the street, a rare 3 p.m. weekday first pitch and a looming threat of thunderstorms, the crowd and atmosphere made this a fall scrimmage dressed in regular season game clothes. Nevertheless under cloudy skies and unusual circumstances disguised with the normality of a game’s cadence, South Carolina baseball stayed undefeated in midweeks with a 4-1 victory over Davidson.
Not one of 35 batter South Carolina pitchers faced against The Citadel worked a base on balls yesterday, but that stat changed as quickly as possible when Matthew Becker issued a lead-off walk. The free pass came all the way to score thanks to two more walks and an error from second baseman Lee Ellis, giving Davidson (4-8) a 1-0 lead before South Carolina (10-3) had a chance to swing.
But the new-look top of the lineup with Dylan Brewer and Talmadge LeCroy leading things off did exactly what it did yesterday, producing two runs in the first inning. Brewer started the show with his first of two drag bunt hits, and LeCroy earned a hit by pitch. Just like their counterparts in the top half, the Gamecocks scored without the ball ever leaving the infield with two tallies coming on a Kennedy Jones bases loaded walk and a Tyler Causey RBI groundout.
But Becker’s significant command issues meant his start ended after just one inning, throwing just 17 strikes against 16 balls in a frame where his curveballs bounced and his fastballs frequently missed the target. Freshman Tyler Pitzer took over hoping to provide some length, and did so and then some.
He continued his stellar start to the season with 3 ⅓ shutout innings, fanning five batters with only one walk. His full tally for the season now stands at 8 ⅓ innings of one-run baseball, and he has struck out 10 in his last two outings dating back to Feb. 23 against Belmont. Most of his outing was spent working with a three-run lead after the Gamecocks tacked on two more runs in the second inning, allowing the true freshman to settle in.
Eventually he gave way to Ty Good, and the College of Charleston transfer ran with the strikeout baton by punching out each of the first four batters he faced before the rain came down heavily in the 7th inning.
South Carolina will open its final non-conference series of the season against Longwood Friday at 7 p.m. in the first installment of a three-game tilt at Founders Park.
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