Schmidt, Gamecocks gut out SEC win at Ole Miss
OXFORD, Miss. - In a game that was likely much closer than the score indicated, Clarke Schmidt and the South Carolina Gamecocks gutted out a 5-1 victory at Ole Miss Thursday night in Game 1 of the three-game SEC series.
Schmidt, the Gamecocks' (21-2, 4-0) ace who has won all six of his starts this season, scattered nine hits and allowed just a single earned run in 6.2 innings.
"Clarke gutted it out and pitched well and they got 11 hits (total) and only one run," head coach Chad Holbrook said. "We escaped some innings there. They hit some balls on the nose that we caught. It was just our night tonight."
*** Also see: Game 1 box score
None of the nine hits Schmidt allowed were of the extra-base variety and he didn't offer any free passes.
"I guess that's just how it happened, but if I can take no extra-base hits and no walks, I'll take that all day and all those singles scattered around," Schmidt said. "I think anyone would take that."
Ole Miss starter Brady Bramlett surely would have as early control problems helped the Gamecocks take an early lead and set the tone for the rest of the contest.
Gene Cone and LT Tolbert led off the game with walks before Alex Destino singled into center field to give the Gamecocks an early 1-0 lead. Jonah Bride's two-out single later in the inning put Carolina up 2-0.
Cone extended the lead to 3-0 in the second inning with a solo home run into the right-field bullpen. The junior was 3-for-4 with a single, a double and home run, his first of the season.
"I got a few good pitches to hit and I kind of got lucky on that slash hit," Cone said. "But I got a few good pitches to hit and was able to put a few good swings on some balls today."
Bramlett, who took the loss and lasted just 4.1 innings, allowed the Gamecocks to go up 4-1 in the fifth when a Dom Thompson-Williams single scored Tolbert.
Both teams threatened to score more as South Carolina nearly pushed the lead open and Ole Miss nearly cut into the lead several times. South Carolina left 13 runners on base while the Rebels left 11.
"We've got to execute better to win consistently on the road," Holbrook said of his team which left multiple runners on base in five different innings. "But tonight we did enough - 13 hits is not too shabby - against a great Ole Miss team, a top 10 team, and feel good about this win."
South Carolina right-hander Tyler Johnson relieved Schmidt in the seventh inning with a runner on second and allowed a deep fly ball to right, but it was hauled in by Cone just short of the wall.
Josh Reagan entered the game with one out in the eighth and pitched 1.2 scoreless innings to pick up his seventh save of the season.
"We got some breaks tonight," Holbrook said. "Coach Spurrier said the good Lord smiled on the Gamecocks tonight and I think he smiled on our baseball team tonight. They hit some balls hard. We had guys in the right spot and made some plays. It was just our night."
South Carolina added an insurance run to increase the lead to 5-1 on a Chris Cullen double off the left field wall.
South Carolina and Ole Miss will face off for Game 2 of the series Friday night with first pitch scheduled for 7:30.
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