Webb, Johnson limit Arkansas to four hits in series-clinching win
Prior to facing Clemson in Greenville two weeks ago, South Carolina freshman pitcher Braden Webb’s last loss came during his sophomore year in high school.
Based on how he has pitched in his last two outings, Webb definitely disliked the taste of defeat.
Making his SEC debut, Webb put together his second strong outing in a row by combining with reliever Tyler Johnson on a four-hitter as the Gamecocks posted a series-clinching 6-2 victory over Arkansas Saturday in front of 7,258 fans at Founders Park for their ninth straight victory.
USC improved to 19-2 overall, 2-0 in the SEC. They go for the sweep Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Freshman Adam Hill is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Gamecocks.
“I’m proud of my team. It was a hard fought win,” USC coach Chad Holbrook said after he improved to 138-65 with the Gamecocks. “We left a few opportunities out there and I thought that might come back to bite us, but our pitching was very good today.
“Braden and Tyler were terrific and we played good defense behind those two. All in all, it was a great game for us. We displayed some toughness and resiliency and some want to. It was a big SEC win for us."
*** Photo Album By Paul Collins: Arkansas Game 2
Webb allowed three hits and two runs with seven strikeouts and four walks during his 6.1 inning stint, longest of the season for the freshman right-hander from Owasso, Okla.
In 12.0 combined innings against Charleston Southern and Arkansas, Webb has surrendered just six hits and two runs while fanning 11 and walking six.
“Pitching against the best hitters in the country in the SEC is going to be a great experience for me, especially coming back from where I was last year,” said Webb, who underwent Tommy John surgery two years ago and missed the entire 2015 season.
“I’m still learning how to pitch at the college level. I try to be a student of the game every time I got here. I felt a lot better today than I did last week.”
Webb struggled with his control against Clemson in USC’s 5-0 loss at Fluor Field in Greenville, walking five Tiger batters in 4.1 innings. Occasionally, he still experiences bouts of wildness, but he has found a way to manage them in his last two starts.
“I hate losing more than I love winning,” Webb said. “That Clemson game was my first loss since my sophomore year in high school. The loss to Clemson was a humbling experience for me and I knew I had to pitch better.”
Soon after reaching the 100-pitch plateau in the top of the seventh, Webb issued a one-out walk and was lifted in favor of Johnson.
“He (Webb) was better today than he has been in his last couple of starts from a command standpoint even though four walks are still a bit too much,” Holbrook said. “But his stuff lets him get away with time from time to time. He has four pretty good pitches. He showed three today. He gave us what we wanted – six good innings. He had a great line.”
Johnson induced a 4-6-3 double play grounder from the first batter he faced. Johnson, a sophomore from Midlothian, Va., blanked Arkansas over the final 2.2 innings, facing seven batters and allowing just one hit with a pair of strikeouts. He induced two inning-ending double-play grounders in the seventh and ninth.
“I was anxious to see how he (Johnson) would react in a tight game with the game on the line against a conference foe,” Holbrook said. “It has been neat to see him grow and develop, both physically and as a pitcher as well. He gives us more bullets in our bullpen.”
Since allowing three hits and three runs in one-third of an inning at The Citadel on March 1, Johnson has been dominant in his last four appearances. Over his last 9.2 innings, Johnson has yielded only four hits and no runs with 12 strikeouts.
“Tyler is a very hard worker, almost to the point where we have to tell him to get out of the weight room and slow down, you’re doing too much”, Holbrook said. “He’s a workaholic. He has gained some good weight since he has been here. He has turned into a man. His 88 and 89 (miles per hour) has gone to 94 and 95. He touched 98 earlier this year. He has great stuff along with a great demeanor, great makeup and great command.”
Just like Friday’s night 10-6 win, the Gamecocks scored multiple runs in the bottom of the first. After loading the bases against Arkansas starter Barrett Loseke, Dom Thompson-Williams walked on four pitches to force home a run. Moments later, Jonah Bride plated another run with a RBI groundout to second.
If Webb made a mistake, it came in the top of the second when he issued a two-out walk, putting Razorback runners at first and second. A single to right scored one run. Right-fielder Gene Cone fired a throw to third base, but the ball skipped past Jonah Bride, allowing the second runner to race home with the tying run.
After Thompson-Williams’ bases loaded walk in the first, Arkansas pitchers retired 12 of the next 14 Gamecocks hitters until one out in the fifth.
That’s when Arkansas reliever James Teague hit L.T. Tolbert in the back of the head with a pitch. Tolbert stayed on the ground as he was treated at home plate by USC medical personnel before heading into the tunnel located next to the dugout. After a few minutes, he popped back out and ran to first base as the crowd cheered.
The cheers became louder when John Jones turned on a Teague fastball and blasted it deep over the right-field fence for his fifth homer of the season, a two-run giving the Gamecocks a 4-2 lead.
The homer increased Jones’ RBI total to a team-leading 26 in 21 games.
“Since that Sunday game at Clemson we’ve been pretty good offensively,” Holbrook said. “We’ve been more aggressive and we’re trying to use the other side of the field. We’ve gotten more consistent with our lineup and that has probably played a part in it. Players know when they come to the ballpark they’re going to be in the game. I felt all along we were going to have a good offensive team. Right now, they’re backing me up on that.”
Neither team scored again until the bottom of the eighth when the Gamecocks added a pair of key insurance runs.
USC loaded the bases with one out on two singles, a fielder’s choice bunt and walk. DC Arendas took three straight balls, but eventually struckout for the second out.
However, Marcus Mooney came through with a clutch two-out, two run single through the middle to give the Gamecocks a 6-2 lead heading to the top of the ninth.
Johnson polished off the Hogs in the ninth.
LINESCORE
ARK (15-5) - 020 000 000 = 2-4-0
USC (19-2) - 200 020 02x = 6-8-1
WP – Braden Webb (4-1)
LP – James Teague (2-2)
SV – Tyler Johnson (1)
HR – USC, John Jones (5th, 1 on, 1 out),
RBI – John Jones (2), Marcus Mooney (2), Thompson-Williams (1), Jonah Bride (1).
LOB – USC 6, Arkansas 6
A – 7,258
Time:2:43
Gamecock Pitchers: Braden Webb (6.1 IP, 3 hits, 2 runs, 7 K, 4 BB), Tyler Johnson (2.2 IP, 1 hits, 0 runs, 2 K, 0 BB)
HOW THE RUNS SCORED:
USC 1st – Cone singled to third, Tolbert walked, Jones lined to right, Destino singled to left, Thompson-Williams walked (RBI), Bride grounded to second (RBI), Cullen struckout. TWO RUNS, TWO HITS (USC 2-0).
ARK 2nd - Bonfield singled to right, Nomura flied to center, Shaddy struck out, Spanberger walked, Bernal singled to right and advanced to second on throw (RBI), Spanberger scored on a throwing error (E9), Pennell walked, Cole struckout. TWO RUNS, TWO HITS (TIED 2-2).
USC 5th - <Teague for Loseke>, Cone struckout, Tolbert hit by pitch, Jones homered to right (2 RBI), Destino flied to left, DTW struckout. TWO RUNS, ONE HIT (USC 4-2).
USC 8th – Scolamiero singled, DTW singled, Bride reached on fielder’s choice (3-6), Cullen walked, Arendas struckout, Mooney singled to center (2 RBI), Cullen thrown out at third (8-5). TWO RUNS, THREE HITS (USC 6-2).
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