Big-hitting scrimmage ends in a tie
The Gamecocks finished up their second weekend of scrimmages on Sunday with a 7-7 tie in 7.5 innings.
The team now has one weekend left before the season starts, and head coach Chad Holbrook is trying to nail down his opening day lineup.
“I’m going to put them together more,” Holbrook said. “Next week I’m going to try and get our team on the field that I might play opening day.”
Younger players were able to get some added experience as LT Tolbert returned to his normal middle infield spot while TJ Hopkins returned to the lineup, singled twice and scored two runs.
With all of the younger players, Holbrook said he’s leaning on starting some of the freshmen. That competition is putting some pressure on the team.
“I think they know we have good players,” Holbrook said. “I don’t think they feel any more pressure, but they know Coach Holbrook may play a freshman. I think they know just because they’ve been there three years doesn’t guarantee a starting position.”
All three catchers played Sunday: John Jones and Hunter Taylor started behind the plate while Chris Cullen started at first for the Garnet team.
“All three of them bring something good to our team, and we’re going to need all three of them at some point this year,” Holbrook said. “With that being said, I feel good about playing two of them at the same time.”
After playing left field Friday, sophomore Alex Destino took to the mound Sunday as the Garnet team’s starting pitcher.
It was a solid outing, only allowing one run in three innings pitched. He wasn’t dominant, but was able to get out of innings through fly balls.
Destino also hit a home run, making it three straight scrimmages in which he’s hit one.
“Right now, to put the offensive lineup I want to put there, Destino needs to play a position. So he’ll need to play first base,” Holbrook said. “He looks like one of the best hitters in the country.”
The teams combined for over 25 hits Sunday, getting to some younger pitchers Holbrook said won’t pitch much this season.
Holbrook said getting discouraged about his pitching is making a “mountain out of a molehill.” What excited Holbrook was what he said were solid hits all weekend long, especially against Clarke Schmidt and Braden Webb.
Other than that, pitching was solid despite a combined four errors in the field. Taylor Widener, who Holbrook said is being considered for a weekend starting role, allowed two runs off three hits in three innings.
Widener’s first appearance since an arm injury was last Sunday, and this week he was able to go out there and get better, according to Holbrook.
“They threw the ball well. I thought Widener was much better this weekend than he was last weekend,” he said.
The team will continue their spring scrimmages next weekend and the weekend after is their first game of the season against Albany.
Other notes
- Holbrook said if the season started right now, Clarke Schmidt would be the Friday night starter and Braden Webb would be either the Saturday or Sunday guy.
-Madison Stokes, who broke a bone in his foot last weekend, was on crutches in the dugout. He’s expected to miss roughly one month of the season.
Starting lineups
Garnet: 1B, Chris Cullen; 2B, LT Tolbert; 3B, Jonah Bride; SS, Marcus Mooney; LF, Brandon McIlwain; CF, Dom Thompson-Williams; RF, TJ Hopkins; C, Hunter Taylor; P, Alex Destino
Black: 1B, Ross Grosvenor; 2B, Jared Williams; 3B, Matt Williams; SS, Jonah Bride; LF, Danny Blair; CF, Gene Cone; RF, Clark Scolamiero; C, John Jones; P, Taylor Widener
Scoring
T2: Alex Destino walks Weber Pike with the bases loaded, Ross Grosvenor scores, 1-0 Black team.
B3: LT Tolbert singled, Hunter Taylor scored, 1-1; Dom Thompson-Williams doubled, LT Tolbert scored, 2-1 Garnet team.
T4: Passed ball by Harrison Smith, Ross Grosvenor scores, 2-2; Danny Blair singled Jared Williams scores, 3-2 Black team.
B4: Alex Destino homered to right field, 3-3.
B5: Marcus Mooney singled, TJ Hopkins scored, 4-3 Garnet team.
B7: Marcus Mooney singled, TJ Hopkins scored, 5-3 Garnet team; Sacrifice fly by Dom Thompson-Williams, LT Tolbert scored, 6-3; Jonah Bride singled, Mooney scored, 7-3.
T8: Clark Scolamiero singled, Caleb Whitenton scored, 7-4 Garnet team; Gene Cone singled, Weber Pike and Danny Blair scored, 7-6.
Pitchers
Alex Destino: 3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 K, 1 BB, 1 HBP
Taylor Widener: 3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 K, 1 BB
Harrison Smith: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 R, 2 K, 2 BB, PB
Josh Reagan: 2.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 K
Dillon Hodge: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 K, 1 BB
Kyle Anderson: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 0 K, BB
Hank Nichols: IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 0 K, 1 BB
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