Hoover haunts Gamecocks as errors erase winning chances
HOOVER—If the town, the tournament and the ballpark didn’t doom the Gamecocks Wednesday, the errors did.
Entering the SEC Tournament without a win since 2012, the Gamecocks committed a season-high five errors against Ole Miss, dropping their first tournament game 10-4.
Four of the five errors were committed on the left half of the infield with Jonah Bride and Marcus Mooney combining for two each.
“We pride ourselves on pitching and defense and that’s what gotten us to that point in the season, we didn’t do a great job of that today,” head coach Chad Holbrook said. “Clarke (Schmidt) did his best to battle today and just didn’t have his normal stuff. We certainly didn’t help him out any behind him. We have to get back to doing what we do well and that’s pitch and play defense.”
It started early with a two-run first inning for the Rebels. They plated their first two runs on a two-out double and a throwing error from Marcus Mooney.
Things wouldn’t get better in the third inning after the Gamecocks (42-14, 20-10 SEC) committed two additional errors and Ole Miss scored three more runs in the inning to take a five-run lead. Schmidt threw 71 pitches through the first three innings.
Alex Destino would put the Gamecocks on the board in the bottom half of the third, lacing a two-out double to right that looked like it had the distance to leave the park. It would plate two and the Gamecocks would trail 5-2 heading to the fifth inning.
That’s when the Rebels dealt a vicious uppercut. Colby Bortles would lace a two-RBI double over Mooney’s head and into left field to make the score 7-2.
Schmidt’s day was done after that. He left after giving up seven runs (four earned) on seven hits. He threw 110 pitches and gave way for middle reliever Reed Scott. After going at least five innings in his first 13 starts, he hasn’t gotten out of the fifth in his last two.
He finished the day with seven strikeouts in 4.1 innings, his shortest outing of the season.
“We’re not worried about Clarke when he’s on the mound,” Destino said. “He’s our bulldog out there. I think he’s the best pitcher in the country. Today we didn’t have our best stuff on defense, but I know we’re going to put that behind us and come ready to play tomorrow.”
Trailing by five, the Gamecocks had a chance to get back into the game with bases loaded in the sixth. It was swiftly ended with a TJ Hopkins pop-up to first base.
The lead would be cut in the seventh, however, to 7-4 on a infield single from Mooney paired with a throwing error scoring Cone and a Bride RBI single.
But Ole Miss would put the final nail in the coffin with a two-out, three-run home run in the eighth inning. The home run wouldn’t have happened if the Gamecocks didn’t commit two costly errors.
Eight of the Rebels’ runs came with two outs.
“That’s tough when they score with two outs,” Destino said. “That goes back to the defense putting ourselves in that position when we should be making outs or missing outs. Obviously it’s tough, but we’ll get past that.”
For the Gamecocks, it is a natural return to the Hoover woes plaguing this team what seems like for eternity. They are 7-20 here since 2006 and have been outscored 60-19 since their last win in 2012. South Carolina hasn’t won more than a game in Hoover since 2007.
USC will try to remedy that situation tomorrow in an elimination game against No. 3 seed Texas A&M. First pitch is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. EST. If South Carolina loses, the team is out of the SEC Tournament. Freshman Braden Webb (10-4, 3.33 ERA) will start for the Gamecocks.
Texas A&M won the series against South Carolina earlier this year at Founders Park winning the first two games before the Gamecocks won Sunday 10-7.
“We’re looking forward to every game when we’re out here, but they’re a talented team,” Destino said. “We’re excited to get out on the field.”
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