Schmidt, DTW lift Gamecocks past Charleston Southern in series opener
Based on the latest evidence, South Carolina right-hander Clarke Schmidt is ready for Friday nights in the SEC.
Schmidt hurled 7.1 scoreless innings - increasing his scoreless streak to 24 innings – and allowed only four hits with nine strikeouts to spark the Gamecocks to a 9-0 victory over Charleston Southern in Game 1 of a three-game series at Founders Park.
Schmidt has allowed just one run in 28.1 innings so far this season (vs. Albany in season opener) and will carry an impressive 0.32 ERA into the start of SEC play next weekend when the Gamecocks host Arkansas.
Against the Buccaneers, Schmidt struckout the side in the first innings and fanned five of the first six CSU batters he faced. He retired Charleston Southern in order in five of the seven full innings he pitched.
“Clarke was outstanding on the mound against a darn good hitting team,” USC coach Chad Holbrook said. “He pitched like that against our hitters in January and February, so I’ve seen him do very well. He is our most improved pitcher from a year ago, and he wasn’t bad last year. His velocity is up, he’s stronger and his command is better. He is certainly a lot more confident too. There is a different air about Clarke this year. He feels he belongs.”
Schmidt received all the run support he would need in the bottom of the second when Chris Cullen singled for USC’s first hit with one out and scored easily when a long drive by D.C. Arendas into left-center was dropped by the CSU left fielder for an error.
Moments later, Arendas scored when the CSU third baseman threw wildly to first on a grounder by Mooney.
Charleston Southern committed five costly errors on the night.
The next inning, after the bases became loaded on a hit by pitch, walk and fielder’s choice/error, Dom Thompson-Williams ripped a two-run double into the right field corner to give the Gamecocks a 4-0 lead.
Two batters later, Alex Destino scored on a RBI groundout to second by freshman L.T. Tolbert as the Gamecocks took a 5-0 lead into the middle innings.
Thompson-Williams capped his 2-for-4, 4 RBI night in the bottom of the fifth by hammering a two-run homer into the Gamecock bullpen, scoring Destino (single) ahead of him. The blast gave the Gamecocks a 7-0 lead and increased DTW’s RBI total for the season to 12.
“I thought runs might be at a premium tonight, but offensively we were as good as we have been all year from an approach standpoint and making adjustments within the at-bat to using the other side of the field,” Holbrook said. “The players worked hard on that all week long. Some of their hard work showed tonight.”
After escaping a first and third, one out jam in the top of the sixth with consecutive strikeouts, Schmidt exited to a loud ovation after recording the first out in the top of the eighth.
“When he is on and throwing strikes and working ahead of hitters, he can be very tough to handle,” Holbrook said. “He was fantastic. When they got some runners on, he bowed his neck and bore down a little bit. His velocity went up because he felt like he had to make some good pitches. That was impressive to see”
Freshman lefthander Kyle Anderson recorded the final five outs in his Gamecock debut. He surrendered a walk and single to the first two CSU batters he faced before a 5-4-3 double play ended the inning before finishing off the game in the ninth.
LINESCORE
CSU (8-6) - 000 000 000 = 0-5-5
USC (13-2) - 023 020 02x = 9-13-0
WP – Clarke Schmidt (4-0)
LP – Evan Raynor (3-1)
SV – None
HR – USC, Dom Thompson-Williams (5th, 1 on)
LOB – USC 9, CSU 6.
A – 6,670
Time: 2:29
HOW THE RUNS SCORED:
USC 2nd – Thompson-Williams lined to left, Cullen singled to left, Tolbert flied to right, Arendas reached on fielding error (E7)(Cullen scored), Mooney reached on fielding error (E5)(Arendas scored), Cone singled, Mooney thrown out 2-6-3-6-2. TWO RUNS, TWO HITS (USC 2-0).
USC 3rd – Bride hit by pitch, Jones walked, Destino reached on fielder’s choice and Jones advanced to second on throwing error (E4), Thompson-Williams doubled to right (2 RBI), Cullen grounded out to pitcher, Tolbert grounded to second (RBI), Arendas grounded to second. THREE RUNS, ONE HIT (USC 5-0)
USC 5th – Jones grounded to second, Destino singled to right, Thompson-Williams homered to right (2 RBI), Cullen struckout, Tolbert singled to right, Arendas flied to center. TWO RUNS, THREE HITS (USC 7-0).
USC 8th – Hopkins singled to center, Williams (PH) singled to left, Grosvenor (PH) struckout, Blair singled to right (RBI) and advanced to second on fielding error (Williams scored unearned run), Scolamiero struckout, Cullen popped to second. TWO RUNS, THREE HITS (USC 9-0).
