After two games in which a total of 45 runs were scored, it was the pitchers’ time to shine on Sunday afternoon at Ray Tanner Field at Founders Park. And shine they did. The teams combined for nine hits and one run that was scored by the Gamecocks in the bottom of the fifth. The 1-0 win gave the Gamecocks a three-game sweep of the Eagles.
Dylan Eskew, Jackson Soucie, Tyler Pitzer and Brendan Sweeney took care of the mound work for USC. Each allowoed a single hit. Soucie (1-0) got the win and Sweeney picked up his fourth save. The four struck out nine and walked seven.
The USC pitchers, however, had to work out of trouble all day. The Eagles got a runner to second in both the first and third innings. In the fourth, they loaded the bases with no one out. Soucie, who had relived Eskew after the first two hitters, got out of the jam with a foul out to first and a ground ball double-play to second.
Pitzer faced a bases loaded, two out situation in the seventh but escaped damage with a swinging strikeout. Sweeney came on in the ninth and with one out gave up a single and a walk. But a strike out and a foul out to first ended the game.
The Gamecocks scored the game’s lone run in the bottom of the fifth. Talmadge LeCroy, who returned to action to play with a broken thumb, led off the inning with a walk. He was bunted over to second and went to third on a ground out to second. Nathan Hall singled to right to score the run with two outs. Hall later stole second and Blake Jackson was hit bu a pitch, but Ethan Petry flied to right to end the threat.
And that was that for scoring. The Gamecocks did threaten in the eighth getting runners to first and second with two outs before KJ Scobey lined out to the left fielder.
The Gamecocks had a 5-0 week and are now 14-3. They will host Georgia State Wednesday before opening SEC play at home Friday night against Oklahoma.
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