Recap: Gamecocks beat Wofford, 7-1, snap brief losing streak

Looking to bounce back after the series loss to rival Clemson, South Carolina faced Wofford Thursday night at Founders Park in Columbia. It was the only meeting between the two Palmetto State schools in 2016. Here is a recap of what happened:

LINESCORE

WOF (10-4) - 001 000 000 = 1-6-1

USC (11-2) - 103 010 20x = 7-13-0

WP – Adam Hill (3-0)

LP – Austin Higginbotham (0-2)

SV – None

HR – USC, Dom Thompson-Williams (7th, one on).

A – 6,432 (Announced)

Time: 2:38

HIGHLIGHTS:

-- The Gamecocks rebounded from the Clemson series loss as four pitchers fanned 17 Wofford batters in a predetermined split. The key blows offensively were a single by L.T. Tolbert in which three runs ended up scoring (two runs on single + error) and a two-run homer by Dom Thompson-Williams.

-- USC freshman Adam Hill made his third start of the season (and his career) on Tuesday. He allowed a one-out single in the top of the first, but the Wofford runner was quickly erased on an inning-ending 6-3 double play.

-- USC grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Dom Thompson-Williams’ two-out infield single scored Jonah Bride for the first run of the game. Chris Cullen walked to load the bases, but L.T. Tolbert flied out to end the inning and leave three runners stranded.

-- Hill struck out the side in the top of the second to give him 23 strikeouts in 13.0 innings pitched. The freshman from Anderson surrendered his first run of the season in the top of the third after 13.1 scoreless innings on a double to left and RBI single that deflected off the glove of Gamecocks third baseman Jonah Bride.

-- The Gamecocks caught a break in the bottom of the third when L.T. Tolbert singled to left with the bases loaded. The Wofford left field bent down to pick up the ball and it skipped through his legs. As a result, Chris Cullen was allowed to score all the way from first base for the third run on the play. Tolbert was credited with a two-run single + unearned run on the error.

-- In a predetermined split, sophomore right-hander Tyler Johnson took over for Hill at the beginning of the fourth inning. Johnson had struggled in his first four appearances this season, allowing five hits and five runs in 2.2 IP for a 16.88 ERA. However, Johnson retired the first nine Wofford batters he faced as Wofford was held hitless until the seventh.

-- USC scored again in the bottom of the fifth when Chris Cullen delivered a single to center, scoring Destino from second base. The RBI was Cullen’s eighth of the season and came on his second hit of the night.

-- A nice play by the Wofford right-fielder ended the bottom of the sixth. With Cone at first, Jones drove a pitch to the wall. The Wofford right-fielder leaped and made the catch. He then fired a perfect one-bounce throw to first to double up Cone, who tried to scramble back to the bag after the catch. That’s F-9-3 on your scorecard.

-- Johnson’s streak ended when he allowed a leadoff single in the top of the seventh. Two batters later, Johnson yielded a two-out single. But he ended the inning with his seventh strikeout in 4.0 innings.

-- Dom Thompson-Williams gave the Gamecocks some breathing room in the bottom of the seventh when he blasted a two-run homer over the Gamecocks bullpen in right-center. It was DTW’s second homer of the season and gave him three RBI on the night.

-- USC pitchers Brandon Murray and Matt Vogel fanned five Wofford batters in the final two innings. Vogel struck out the side in the top of the ninth.

HOW THE RUNS SCORED:

USC 1st – Cone struck out, Bride singled to center, Jones singled to right-center, Destino grounded to first, Thompson-Williams singled to pitcher (RBI), Thompson-Williams stole second, Cullen walked, Tolbert flied to center. ONE RUN, THREE HITS (USC 1-0).

WOF 3rd – Bradley doubled to left, Ruedisili struck out, Hirsch singled to left (RBI), Paradowski hit by pitch, McDougald grounded into 5-4-3 double play. ONE RUN, TWO HITS (TIED 1-1).

USC 3rd – Jones walked, Destino grounded into fielder’s choice (3-6), Thompson-Williams walked, Cullen singled to second, Tolbert singled to left (2 RBI) and advanced to second on fielding error (E7)(Cullen scored on E7), Mooney grounded to short, Arendas grounded to first. THREE RUNS, TWO HITS (USC 4-1).

USC 5th – Destino walked, Thompson-Williams singled to right, Cullen singled to center (RBI), Tolbert popped to short, Mooney grounded to short, Arendas flied to left. ONE RUN, TWO HITS (USC 5-1).

USC 7th – Destino singled to center, Thompson-Williams homered to right (2 RBI), Cullen popped to second, Tolbert popped to third, Mooney singled to right, Arendas grounded to second. TWO RUNS, TWO HITS (USC 7-1).