Following losses in the first two games of the weekend series against 18-11 Georgia, something needed to change for No. 7 South Carolina. The Gamecocks (19-9) had lost three straight and six of their last seven.
Desperately seeking production, head coach Chad Holbrook shuffled his lineup Sunday and started four freshmen on offense. The move worked and the Gamecocks took the win, 8-5.
Freshman Clarke Schmidt started on the mound and survived a rough first inning to go five innings for the Gamecocks. The righty went five-plus innings for the Gamecocks and gave up just five hits and three walks. When Schmidt exited in the sixth inning, he left runners on first and second. Schmidt was charged with four earned runs to move his season ERA to 3.14.
Junior left-hander Vince Fiori relieved Schmidt but allowed both runners to score to even the score at 4-4. From there, freshman right-hander Brandon Murray went to work, pitching into the seventh to earn the win, moving him to 3-0 on the year.
Murray has become a weapon out of the bullpen for the Gamecocks lately, allowing just two earned runs in 15 innings, good for an impressive 1.20 ERA.
Junior lefty Jack Wynkoop pitched in relief on Saturday due to Friday night’s postponement. He took the loss in game one on Saturday but came back to earn his first save of the season on Sunday.
South Carolina, now 5-4 in the SEC, has struggled with offensive consistency to start conference play. While seniors Kyle Martin and Elliott Caldwell, and sophomores Jordan Goreand Gene Cone are all hitting above .340 in league play, no other hitter is hitting above .300.
Holbrook decided to act. The third-year head coach started four freshmen Sunday — two that do not normally start — and they stepped up.
Catcher Hunter Taylor, designated hitter Alex Destino, third baseman Madison Stokes and left fielder Clark Scolamiero gave the offense a spark. Taylor and Stokes had two RBIs apiece, while Scolamiero drove in one, and Destino added a walk and a run.
“All those kids have a chance to be really good players,” Holbrook said of his freshmen. “Maybe I need to play them a bit more.”
Taylor also added his first career home run, a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth inning.
“When I hit it I thought it had a pretty good chance,” Taylorsaid. “It felt awesome. I don’t know if I’ll ever feel like that again, but it felt great.”
Martin picked up two hits Sunday to extend his hitting streak to 15 games. His third inning home run was his team-leading sixth of the season. Martin’s 29 RBIs and .392 batting average also lead the team.
Cone added three hits and two runs for the Gamecocks to continue his solid weekend. The sophomore center fielder went 8-13 with four runs and an RBI against Georgia to help break his recent slump at the plate.
After a rough week, a Sunday win is welcome for the Gamecocks as they try to build momentum heading into next week’s showdown with 19-11 Mississippi State. Before the trip to face the Bulldogs in Starkville, Gamecocks will head to Charleston to face the Bulldogs from The Citadel (14-12) on Tuesday.