After splitting the first two games of the series, the South Carolina baseball team surrendered a late lead in Sunday's 5-3 loss to Georgia. The series loss marks a continuation of the Gamecocks' struggles away from Founders Park. At home South Carolina is 22-1, but when playing as the visitor or at neutral location they are just 7-7.
Friday: South Carolina 3, Georgia 1
In a showdown between power pitchers Clarke Schmidt and Robert Tyler, South Carolina cruised to a 3-1 victory on the back of a complete game victory from Schmidt. Schmidt once again displayed pinpoint control, painting the corners of the strike zone in route to a 10-strikeout performance. Schmidt did not yield any free passes and scattered five hits. The right-hander has been the undisputed ace at the top of South Carolina's rotation and now sits at 8-1 with a staggering strikeout-to-walk ratio of 80-10.
The Gamecocks got to Georgia's right-handed flame-thrower for three runs before he could finish the fourth inning. Tyler is projected to be an early round pick in the upcoming MLB Draft, but the 6-foot-4 hurler labored with his command. South Carolina employed a patient approach at the plate that didn't help him out much. Right fielder Gene Cone paced South Carolina with two hits and also drew a walk.
Saturday: South Carolina 4, Georgia 13
Freshman right-hander Braden Webb has shown flashes of brilliance this season mixed in with inconsistency. Those inconsistencies got the best of him on Saturday. Webb worked two scoreless innings before Georgia knocked him out in the third, but not before he was charged with eight earned runs.
South Carolina fell behind 13-1 before they managed to plate three runs in their final at-bat. The late rally included a two-run home run from Cone.
Sunday: South Carolina 3, Georgia 5
While the Gamecocks struggled to score runs throughout the series, their pitching staff also failed to keep the ball from leaving the ballpark. In the rubber game, the Bulldogs connected for four solo home runs. Closer Josh Reagan entered the game in a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning. Reagan had previously allowed just one earned run all season, but designated hitter Daniel Nichols and center-fielder Stephen Wrenn connected for back-to-back home runs.
Left fielder Alex Destino had an RBI-double in the third inning and also an RBI-single in the seventh inning that temporarily gave South Carolina a 3-2 lead. However, South Carolina's other power bats around Destino failed to produce in the series. No. 3 and No. 5 hitters John Jones and Dom Thompson-Williams went just 1-18 on the weekend.
With two losses in the series, South Carolina is now tied for first in the SEC East with Florida at 11-4. They will look to get back on track when they play Furman in Greenville on Wednesday at 7 p.m.