South Carolina’s offense was a key issue in the baseball team's 4-3 loss against the Citadel Tuesday night.
The Gamecocks only had seven hits and left 10 men on base throughout the ball game, hurting the team offensively.
Freshman shortstop Michael Braswell's struggles continued at the plate as he went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts.
“We just didn't get a big hit there when we needed to,” head coach Mark Kingston said. “Other than that we pitched well enough, we played good enough defense.”
Freshman left fielder Carson Hornung stepped up both at the plate and on the field. Hornung played good defense in left field, keeping the Citadel from scoring multiple runs. He also led the team in hits on the night with two.
Junior catcher Colin Burgess hit his first home run of the season in the second inning. He finished 1-for-3 with a walk.
With only six players getting hits tonight, the Gamecocks will look to improve offensively in future games.
South Carolina’s bullpen stepped up, keeping it a close game. Freshman right-handed pitcher Aidan Hunter came in the second inning and allowed only one run in the five innings he pitched.
“We played really hard, that's all (Mark Kingston) could ask us to do,” Hunter said. “(The Citadel) got lucky at the end.”
Freshman right-handed pitcher Cade Austin also stepped up and proved himself on the mound. Austin pitched two innings with no runs earned and one strikeout adding to his 19 strikeouts this season.
Junior right-handed pitcher Brett Thomas made his first start on the mound since undergoing Tommy John surgery last season. He pitched one inning and allowed one run while striking out one batter.
The Gamecocks led a tight ballgame until Braswell came in to pitch late in the ninth inning. The Citadel was able to gain the momentum it needed to win, scoring two runs off of two hits to win the ball game.
The Gamecocks will open a three-game series against No. 4 Vanderbilt on Thursday night at Founders Park. The first pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. on ESPN2.