COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina defeated 17th-ranked Georgia 13-7 to even an SEC series Saturday at Founders Park in front of a crowd of 7,124.
USC sophomore right-hander Will Sanders pitched into the seventh inning, registering nine strikeouts and scattering four runs on five hits to improve to 5-1. Bulldog starter Garrett Brown fell to 0-1. He allowed five runs on three hits with four walks over 3.1 innings. USC left-hander Matthew Becker pitched the final 2.2 innings for a save and gave up three runs on two hits.
The Gamecocks (15-15, 4-7 SEC) took a 2-0 lead in the second on an RBI-groundout by Colin Burgess while Josiah Sightier scored on a wild pitch by Brown. Georgia (23-8, 7-4 SEC) missed a scoring opportunity in the first when it put runners at the corners with one out. However, Sanders came back to retire the next two Bulldogs. In the fourth, the Gamecocks managed to score three runs on one hit as the runs scored on a bases-loaded walk, a hit by pitch and another wild pitch to extend their lead to 5-0.
With two outs in the fifth, Georgia responded. Graduate Ben Anderson lined a single to left and graduate Cole Tate followed with his second home run of the year, a two-run shot to close the gap to 5-2. For Anderson, he now has reached base in all 29 games he’s played in this season. USC answered in the bottom of the inning as Burgess smashed a three-run home run off Luke Wagner for an 8-2 lead. Georgia chased Sanders in the seventh and scored a couple of runs on a sacrifice fly by Tate and Corey Collins to make it 8-4.
In the eighth, Bulldog pinch-hitter Fernando Gonzalez led off with a double to right. Sophomore Parks Harber followed with an opposite field two-run blast, his sixth of the year, to bring Georgia within two at 8-6. After two scoreless innings of relief including striking out four straight, Michael Polk ran into trouble in the eighth.
He issued three walks before Georgia looked to Collin Caldwell. He allowed a bases-loaded walk to Brandt Belk and then a two-run single to pinch-hitter Talmadge LeCroy as the Gamecocks built their lead back to 11-6. The Bulldogs brought in Coleman Willis who got the final two outs but not before a two-run double by Andrew Eyster capped a five-run outburst. Anderson smacked a solo home run in the top of the ninth, his sixth of the year, for the final.
“We had a chance after getting down 8-2, as we made it 8-4 and then 8-6, and we just needed to close the door in the eighth inning, and then I would’ve liked our chances” said head coach Scott Stricklin. “We had a chance if we kept it 8-6, but if doesn’t help you, we just didn’t get it done There was too many free passes and free opportunities, and luck is not going to go your way when you do that.
“We’re excited to get Liam (Sullivan) back out there Sunday. He’s going to be on a pitch count. We’ve got (Jack) Gowen, (Jaden) Woods, (Will) Pearson, (Chandler) Marsh, the bullpen is fresh. We feel like we’re in good shape. We’d love to see Liam get off to a good start. That would give us a lot of confidence. They (USC) are probably going to have a bullpen day, and we don’t know who is going to start for them. (Matthew) Becker the guy that finished for them today was the scheduled Sunday starter. We’re going to have a good approach and grind out at bats.”
The rubber game of the series will be Sunday with first pitch at 12:02 p.m. (SEC Network).
Quick Hits
*Graduate Ben Anderson extended his on base streak go to 29 games when he lined a single to left in the fifth and added a solo home run in the ninth. He has reached base safely in every game he has played in this season. Senior Cory Acton’s base hit in the seventh gave him a season-high 12-game on base streak.
*Sophomore Parks Harber smashed his sixth home run of the year to extend his hitting streak to six games in the eighth.
*USC scored seven of its 13 runs Saturday without the benefit of a hit, getting three bases-loaded walks, two on wild pitches, one on a bases loaded hit-by-pitch and one on a groundout. Georgia finished with 11 walks.
