Notes + Quotes: USC-Arkansas Game 3
Notes and quotes from Sunday's USC-Arkansas baseball game. The Gamecocks won 6-5.
NOTES
Jones does it again
The Gamecocks got behind 6-1 after four innings, their biggest deficit of the season. South Carolina began to string hits together and come back as a team, but it was John Jones that finished the job. Jones had an RBI single in the fifth inning and RBI double in the sixth, and the Gamecocks trailed 6-5. With two on and one out in the eighth, Jones crushed a 2-2 change-up into the Gamecock bullpen to give the Gamecocks an 8-6 lead.
Shaky outing
Adam Hill was reigning SEC Freshman of the Week. Coming into Sunday’s contest, the right-hander had allowed just one run and an astounding 32 strikeouts to just three walks in 19.1 innings of work. He began like usual, mowing down the first eight batters he faced, four by way of the strikeout. However, with two outs in the third inning, Hill ran into trouble. He allowed a single, followed by a walk and hit-by-pitch to load the bases. A wild pitch and single later, Arkansas had put three runs on the board. Hill’s five earned runs are a new career-high.
Defense struggles
Though the box score will only show one unearned run given up by the Gamecocks, the defense really struggled Sunday. In the third inning, catcher Chris Cullen threw wide of second trying to catch a runner stealing. A good throw would have likely ended the inning, but it continued, and Hill allowed three runs in the frame. In the fourth inning, Reed Scott entered the game, trying to settle things down. After a strikeout, Scott threw wide of first on a bunt single, allowing a run to score and putting men on second and third. A routine grounder turned into an RBI infield single when Marcus Mooney couldn’t get the ball out of his glove just one batter later. However, the Gamecocks settled in nicely and Gene Cone’s outfield assist to end the fifth inning and jump-started the comeback.
Streaks continue
Dom Thompson-Williams reached on an error in the second inning to extend his on-base streak. He added a two-out, two RBI triple in the sixth inning to pull the Gamecocks within one. The junior outfielder has successfully reached base in all 22 games this season and leads the team with 28 runs scored. Sophomore Alex Destino ripped a single in the fifth inning to extend his team-high 14-game hit streak.
Scott and Reagan shine again
Relief pitchers Reed Scott and Josh Reagan are both juniors that showed flashes of potential a season ago. This year, each has taken his game to new levels. After giving up two soft infield singles in the fourth inning, Scott settled in and struck out three batters in three and a third innings of relief. Reagan picked off a man at first to end the seventh inning before throwing a pitch then pitched a scoreless eighth in which he gave up a two-out double — his first extra-base hit of the season. Reagan easily disposed of the last three batters to end the game and earn his first win of the season.
Two-out hitting offsets leadoff struggles
The Gamecock offense racked up 10 hits, but only one came with no outs. Getting the leadoff batter aboard was a struggle for the Gamecocks in their two losses. However, the Gamecocks strung together hits came up with four two-out RBIs.
QUOTES
“It’s nice to have Reed in there because you never know how long he can go. He could finish the game if he wanted to. He throws a lot of strikes, he’s got a lot of movement on his fastball. Everything he throws moves and it’s really hard for the hitters to pick up. It’s really great to have him in there.” — Josh Reagan on Reed Scott
“My initial reaction was thankful I hit it. I wasn’t even close on the others. Just to help out the team win a big Sunday game for a series sweep, was pretty awesome.” — John Jones on his feeling after hitting the homerun
“I couldn’t be prouder of the grit and determination and the winning attitude and competitive attitude that my team showed.” — Head coach Chad Holbrook on the series sweep
“That ‘it’ factor, he has it. You always wanna coach kids that have that ‘it’ factor The kid’s got a knack for putting the barrel of the bat on the ball and he did it in a big moment.” — Holbrook on Jones
“He pitched into some tough luck, but I’m extremely comfortable with his development and I think he’s gonna be a special pitcher for us.” — Holbrook on Hill’s performance
“That got people excited in the dugout. It was a big throw by Gene. Gene’s got an accurate throwing arm, now it’s not a cannon, but he throws it on the money about every time. He has a knack of throwing people out.” — Holbrook on Gene Cone’s outfield assist
“We trust Reed and Josh with the ball in their hands just because we know they’re gonna throw strikes, field their position, hold runners, those sorts of things, which you have to have late in the game.” — Holbrook on Scott and Reagan
“When he talks in the lockerroom people listen. He’s kinda wanted to be a leader from the day that he got here, and that’s what he is He’s got a neat edge about him and he’s been a pleasure to have and coach.” — Holbrook on Dom Thompson-Williams
“He’s an experienced kid Gene is very polished and he does what I ask him to do He has a knack of playing baseball the right way and that’s why he’s in there right now.” — Holbrook on Cone
“I’ve been in the dugout for some dramatic come from behind wins and this certainly ranks right up there with them.” — Holbrook on the comeback
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