Senior Nolan Belcher has not allowed a run in 26.1 innings
South Carolina continued its impressive start to the season this weekend when they took two of three games in Missouri in both teams’ SEC openers.
For the No. 5 Gamecocks, it capped an impressive week that saw them outscore their opponents 42-17 over the eight games played.
USC (17-3) opened up league play with a 4-1 victory over the Tigers Friday night. Outfielder TJ Costen went 2-4 with a two-run single while catcher Grayson Greiner hit a solo home run to lead the offensive charge.
On the pitching side, sophomore right-hander Evan Beal, who filled in for the injured Jordan Montgomery, recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts in 6.1 innings pitched while allowing just one run.
“I was just trying to go out there and get ahead on my first pitch,” Beal said after the win. “I feel like I did a good job with damage control. I was able to shut it down, get some ground balls. The defense played great. It was a good team effort tonight.”
Beal’s start was the first of a string of impressive pitching performances over the weekend. The Gamecocks were forced to play two games Saturday because the forecast called for rain Sunday.
Senior Nolan Belcher followed up Beal’s gem with one of his own. The left-hander pitched 8.1 innings while allowing just five hits, no walks and striking out six batters to lead the Gamecocks to the 2-0 win in the first game.
Coach Chad Holbrook said the Augusta, Ga., native’s pitching against the Tigers was “incredible.”
The win moved Belcher to 4-1 on the year, and he has pitched 26.1 consecutive innings without allowing a run and has not allowed a walk since the opening series against Liberty.
The 2-0 victory Saturday was USC’s 10th consecutive win, and the Gamecocks looked to extend that streak and sweep Missouri in the finale of the doubleheader.
However, the Tigers jumped out to a quick start by scoring three runs in the first two innings. Missouri reliever Keaton Steele pitched six shutout innings while allowing just three hits and striking out seven batters in the 4-0 Tiger win. No Gamecocks recorded more than one hit in the loss.
USC had no problem getting hits during its two midweek matchups last week. The Gamecocks defeated USC Upstate 12-3 Tuesday and torched Davidson 12-4 Wednesday.
Nine different USC players recorded a hit against USC Upstate with freshman second baseman Max Schrock leading the charge with two hits, two runs and three RBI.
On Wednesday, first baseman LB Dantzler continued his monster season in the blowout win. The senior had two home runs in one game for the first time in his career and also drove in a career-best six runs.
Through 20 games, Dantzler is batting .362 with six homers and 23 RBI. However, Dantzler gave most of the credit to his teammates.
“I’ve always said that you can’t drive in runs unless there are people on base,” Dantzler said after the win. “It’s one of those things where it is cool, but I was just glad to get the win.”
Despite the loss to Missouri in the final game of the series, Holbrook has been pleased with the first month of play.
“I thought our at-bats were OK (in the final game against Tigers), but we just couldn’t generate momentum,” Holbrook said. “It’s a weekend series and we won it, so we will take the series and head home to get some rest and get ready for a big week ahead.”
USC will be in Charleston on Tuesday to play The Citadel before returning to Columbia this weekend for a big series with SEC rival Arkansas.