Adam Hill delivers just what the Gamecocks need in 23-2 win
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It wasn’t perfect, but it was just what the Gamecocks needed from freshman Adam Hill. Playing in an elimination game with what head coach Chad Holbrook called a thin bullpen, they needed Hill to step up and go deep against Rhode Island.
He did, pitching a career-long seven innings. He allowed just three hits and two runs. He struck out six batters on 123 pitches. It was just what the doctor order, preserving the Gamecock bullpen for a regional final against UNCW.
“Adam was terrific in his seven innings,” Holbrook said. “He gave us just what we needed: to go deep in the game and give us a chance to win. That’s what he did. It helps us with our bullpen going forward in hopefully the next two games.”
With the majority of Gamecock relievers pitching last night in Josh Reagan and Tyler Johnson, there was little room for error for Hill. If he gave up too many runs, it could mean early exit from the NCAA Tournament.
“I knew some guys had thrown some pitches so I needed to go as deep as I could. It wasn’t on my mind. I was worried about throwing strikes and getting outs any way I could,” Hill said. “I wasn’t focused on it but I knew going in that yeah, I needed to have a long outing.”
But Hill didn’t think that mattered too much.
“I didn’t put any pressure on myself,” he said. “I knew my team was going to swing the bat and all I would have to do is put the ball over the plate and let the defense work. There wasn’t much pressure because I knew I had a great team behind me.”
And the margin for error increased exponentially after the fifth inning when the Gamecocks scored eight runs (the most the team’s scored in an inning all season) to take a 14-2 lead.
After the Gamecocks busted the game wide open in the fifth, Hill only allowed one hit and had as many strikeouts (three) as he allowed base runners.
“At that point it was about throwing strikes and getting back to our offense the way they were swinging it,” Hill said. “It was about getting ahead and getting outs.”
With most of the bullpen still in tact, the Gamecocks try to advance out of the regional against UNCW, who needs just one win to make it to the Super Regionals.
Tyler Johnson will start against UNCW, but with rain in the forecast, it could become a pitch-by-committee kind of night.
“He gave us a chance to have a few arms in the stable tonight,” Holbrook said. “It’ll be a little awkward, a little different. It wont be the plan we had all season long but we’ll be able to throw some of our guys out there and piece together a lineup and get to tomorrow.”
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