After dropping three of their past four games, South Carolina rebounded against a strong Coastal Carolina team with a 4-2 win at Founders Park. With the win over Coastal Carolina, ranked No. 16 in RPI, the Gamecocks improve to 25-5 on the season.
Junior Taylor Widener opened the season as a member of the weekend rotation, but was bumped by freshman Adam Hill into a midweek role. After some struggles, he appeared out of the pen last week against College of Charleston. The right-hander got the opportunity to start against a very good offensive team in Coastal Carolina and responded with his best outing of the season. Widener worked five-plus innings and allowed only two hits and one walk. He allowed two runs, only one of which was earned.
Widener was able to pound the zone with all of his pitches and also used the sink on his fastball to generate a high rate of groundballs.
The Gamecocks gave Widener early run support with a two-run first inning that included an RBI-double from left fielder Dom Thompson-Williams.
After a hot start, South Carolina cooled off at the plate in the middle innings. However, shortstop Marcus Mooney's aggressive base running allowed him to score on a wild pitch in the seventh inning to put the Gamecocks up 4-2.
After missing the beginning of the season rehabbing a foot injury, infielder Madison Stokes made his first start of the season and picked up his first hit of the season in the eighth inning.
Stokes got the start at designated-hitter, but, when he returns to the field, he should offer the Gamecocks flexibility at multiple positions in the infield. On his current status, Stokes said, "Hitting, I felt 100 percent. I didn't get out there as far as defense in the game. I would like to see that and how I would feel."
After some minor struggles by middle relievers Reed Scott and Brandon Murray, relief-ace Josh Reagan came in to record a six-out save. Even more impressive is the fact that Reagan made the appearance between passing kidney stones. The junior southpaw has now allowed just one run in 26 innings this season.
The Gamecocks will return to action on Friday to kick off a weekend series with Tennessee.