South Carolina can’t keep Missouri at bay, drops rain-delayed series opener
Things started messy at Founders Park on Friday night, with a sudden downpour of rain hitting before the grounds crew could get the tarp on the field.
And after a 90-minute delay, things stayed messy for South Carolina baseball, as the Gamecocks dropped their series opener to SEC East cellar dweller Missouri, 7-2.
Friday night ace Thomas Farr never got into a rhythm against the Tigers, struggling with command and letting a runner reach base in each of the game’s first four innings, three times making it to third. Each time, however, he managed to wiggle his way out of trouble, using seven strikeouts to avoid giving up any runs.
In the fifth inning, however, Farr and South Carolina’s luck ran out. A one-out single to left field and two walks loaded the bases, and while Farr came back with a strikeout to get two outs, he then gave up a bases-clearing double to redshirt senior Brandt Belk.
Farr was replaced by Andrew Peters in the sixth, but the redshirt junior righty also ran into two-out trouble — he induced a lazy pop-up to shallow right field, but first baseman David Mendham couldn’t hold on to an over-the-shoulder grab. A walk and another shallow pop up that fell in for a double from Brandt followed, scoring a run.
After that, it seemed once more as though Peters had the inning wrapped up with a ground ball to third base, but the Missouri runner from second hesitated, getting in the sightline of third baseman Jack Mahoney, then ducked at the last second when he tried to make the throw. The gamesmanship worked — the throw was wide for an error, and two more runs scored.
On the other side, it wasn’t as though the Gamecocks lacked for opportunities on offense, getting at least one runner in each of the first six innings. But 2-of-16 hitting with runners on and 11 left on base prevented runs from being scored.
Missouri starter Seth Halvorsen struggled mightily with command, walking six in four innings. But he also boasted impressive velocity, hitting 98 miles per hour with his fastball, and twice he escaped jams with runners in scoring position, primarily with strikeouts.
USC did get to him in the second inning when junior center fielder Brady Allen ripped a ground ball through the left side with the bases loaded for an RBI single. Two batters later, a wild pitch squirted between Mizzou catcher Mike Coletta’s legs. On third base, freshman Jack Mahoney made an aggressive break for home even as the ball didn’t get too far away from Coletta, and he beat the toss to score what would wind up being the final run of the game for Carolina.
NEXT USC BASEBALL GAME
Who: South Carolina (19-9, 6-4 SEC) vs. Missouri
When: 12 p.m. Saturday
Where: Founders Park
Watch: Streaming online on SEC Network Plus
