All three games were close all weekend, and Alabama kept it interesting throughout the series.
Recap
Thursday night’s game was tied until the sixth when Marcus Mooney belted a two-out two-run single to give the Gamecocks the 6-4 win.
Friday’s match went back and forth for a little but some big home runs lifted the Gamecocks to a 4-2 victory. John Jones and Dom Thompson-Williams each launched their seventh home runs of the year to seal the win.
The bats came to life on Saturday when the Gamecocks knocked 15 hits en route to the 9-7 win and claimed the SEC East title. All nine starters recorded hits in the game, while six of them had multi-hit outings.
Pitchers struggle but manage
South Carolina’s starting pitchers did not look their sharpest this weekend. Clarke Schmidt went just 4.2 innings, giving up four runs on six hits while striking out six. Adam Hill also struggled in his start, giving up four earned runs on three hits and two walks over 2.2 innings of work. He gave up a double and homer, while not striking out any. Both Hill and Schmidt have just a few days rest before the SEC Tournament starts and need to be more than ready to go for that.
Braden Webb was the only Gamecock starter who recorded a win this weekend but also was not on top of his usual game. He held the Tide to one run on seven hits of six innings. He struggled early in the game but worked around batters to secure his tenth win of the year.
The bullpen worked well this weekend too. Tyler Johnson pitched four phenomenal innings in the series, notching a save in each game to bring him to nine saves on the season. He only gave up one hit all weekend while recording three strikeouts. Making sure the bullpen is healthy and in their usual form will really be an asset for the Gamecocks.
Jones, Stokes roar back for the last series of the season
Jones had a breakthrough this weekend after some late season struggles. He extended the Gamecocks lead in the fourth on Thursday with a two-out fly ball that the left fielder dropped, allowing two runners to score. He then went on to hit a two-run homer in the fifth in Friday’s game to break the tie. This was his first home run for Jones since late March against Arkansas. Saturday he went 2-3, leading the team with four RBI.
Madison Stokes also had a strong showing in Tuscaloosa. He went 2-3 in Thursday’s game, including a lead off single to get the offense going in the fifth. He went 2-4 in Friday’s contest with a pair of singles. Stokes contributed to the team’s offensive power surge on Saturday, going 2-2 with two doubles and a RBI.
Up next
As the regular season comes to an end, the Gamecocks finally look to have their chemistry back. Holbrook needs to keep the same lineup from Saturday’s game as it worked the best for them. Scoring early and not leaving too many men on base, which has been a problem for them all season, is a necessity if they want to go deep into the postseason.
With the sweep and LSU taking the series from Florida 2-1, South Carolina has a first round bye and a top 2-seed in the SEC Tournament. The tournament begins Tuesday in Hoover, Alabama, and the Gamecocks will start their race to the title on Wednesday.