Freshman Ethan Petry ripped a bases-loaded single up the middle to score Will Tippett from third with the winning run and South Carolina rallied once again to defeat Missouri 5-4 in 12 innings Saturday night at Founders Park. It was the Gamecocks second walk-off win of the series, which they swept to improve to 6-0 in the SEC and 23-2 overall.
Petry, the Gamecocks leading hitter with a .434 average, had three hits and three RBIs in the nightcap of the Saturday doubleheader sweep. For the series he had a home run in each game and was a combined 7-13 at the plate with six RBIs and four runs scored.
The Gamecocks took a 2-0 lead on Carson Hornung’s two run homer in the bottom of the fourth. Then the Gamecock bats went cold. They didn’t get a ball out of the infield over the next three innings. Meantime, the Tigers scored four unanswered runs and led 4-2 going to the bottom of the eighth.
That’s when Petry struck again, slugging his 12th home run of the season to tie the game at 4-4. After a scoreless ninth, the Gamecocks moved on to extra innings for the first time this season.
Eli Jerzembeck started the 10th on the mound for USC and got into immediate trouble with a walk following by an infield single to second and a wild throw to first for an error. With no one out and runners on the corners, Matthew Becker was summoned from the pen. He induced a pair of fly balls to right and a popout to the catcher to kill the threat.
From there neither team got a man in scoring position until the 12th inning. In the top of the frame, the Tigers got runners to first and second with one out, but Becker got a strike out and a pop up to second to end the inning.
Tippett led off the bottom of the 12th with a walk. Braylen Wimmer bunted in front of the plate, and on the throw to first, the Mizzou catcher slipped and threw past the first baseman for an error. That allowed Tippett to make it to third. Gavin Casas was intentionally walked to load the bases, and then Petry sent all the Gamecocks home happy with his single up the middle on a 1-1 pitch.
Jack Mahoney, who was sick before the game and getting an IV according to coach Mark Kingston, started and pitched into the fifth inning. Eli Jones, Chris Veach, Cade Austin, Austin Williamson, Jerzembeck and Becker followed with Becker getting the win to improve to 2-0 on the season. He allowed just two hits over the final three innings.
Kingston also said after the game that starting second baseman Will McGillis will miss the next 4-6 weeks with a broken arm. He was hit by a pitch Friday night.
The Gamecocks are back in action Tuesday night at The Citadel before heading to Starkville for a series with Mississippi State that will begin Thursday night.
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