Wynkoop to start for USC against Ball State today
Cool, calm and collected, South Carolina’s pitching staff shined in a defensive series against Clemson.
“This isn’t football,” senior left-hander Nolan Belcher said. “You can’t pitch off emotion.”
The Tigers had a meager .179 batting average against the Gamecocks’ pitching staff in this weekend’s series win. Sophomore Jordan Montgomery tallied a career-high nine strikeouts in Friday night’s win against Clemson, and Belcher pitched a complete-game shutout in the rubber match Sunday.
“To go out there and have that kind of success against them in a big game like this is real special,” Belcher said.
Using just five pitchers in the series, USC will have nearly its entire bullpen available for its two midweek matchups against Ball State. The Gamecocks play the Cardinals tonight at 7 p.m. and Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Though the USC pitching staff was better than Clemson’s last weekend as a whole, Clemson’s freshman pitcher Clate Schmidt outdueled senior Colby Holmes in Saturday’s game at Greenville’s Fluor Field. Holmes surrendered five runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings, while Schmidt went seven innings, gave up two earned runs and five hits and struck out five.
“He pitched certainly beyond his years,” USC coach Chad Holbrook said of Schmidt. “He kept our hitters off balance. He deserves the ‘W’ today.”
Holmes was in contention for the Friday night starting spot, but with his struggles Saturday compared to Montgomery’s poise, he’s likely to stay in his spot from Saturday’s game. USC was able to rally from the 5-0 deficit Saturday thanks to the relief work of Adam Westmoreland. In 4 1/3 innings of relief, Westmoreland allowed three hits and no earned runs, and struck out seven.
“Adam’s line was very, very encouraging,” Holbrook said. “He kept us in the game and he gave us a chance. That performance warrants more opportunities down the road, situations in which we’re trying to win a game instead of coming from behind ... I think this is the best he’s thrown since he’s been here.”
Holbrook said left-hander Jack Wynkoop was also to have opportunities to pitch over the weekend, but he was announced as the starting pitcher for tonight’s game. Closer Tyler Webb pitched just one inning Friday, recording three strikeouts, so he will be available for the two midweek games.
Carson scores: Outfielder Shon Carson, also a football player for USC, recorded his first score for the baseball team in Friday’s 6-0 win.
Carson was put in the game as a pinch runner for designated hitter Brison Celek. After advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt by right fielder TJ Costen, Carson bolted for home on the throw from the short stop to the third baseman to get left fielder Tanner English out.
The run gave USC a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth.
“That was total instinct on his part,” Holbrook said. “It wasn’t anything we did as coaches. He read the ball and took off, and he’s a fast, fast kid.”