There have been a lot of low points for the USC baseball team this season, but Saturday night’s 15-12 loss at Texas A&M was like falling into a bottomless pit for the Gamecocks. It’s hard to conceive of getting any lower than this after leading 12-2 and then giving up two grand slams in the bottom of the ninth.
USC was cruising toward a third SEC win on the season after building a 12-2 lead after four and a half innings. The Gamecocks trailed 2-1 going to the top of the fifth when they scored seven runs. Evan Stone led off with a home run. Henry Kaczmar later delivered a two-run double followed by a two-run single by Ethan Petry. Stone came up again with two outs and singled into left for two more RBIs.
The Gamecocks followed up the fifth inning outburst with four more runs in the sixth. Petry had a one-out RBI double into left center. Jordan Carrion followed with a two-run single into right. Beau Hollins then tripled down the right field line for an RBI, but on the play Jace Woita was thrown out at home trying to score from first. Stone grounded out to third to end the inning.
The Gamecocks now led 12-2 going to the bottom of the sixth and were on the verge of a run-rule victory with six more outs. Jarvis Evans, who replaced starter Dylan Eskew to start the fourth inning, gave up a leadoff double. Back-to-back ground balls to short scored the run to make it a 12-3 game going to the seventh.
A two-out, two-run homer by Blake Binderup off Evans cut the lead to 12-5 going to the eighth. Brendan Sweeney relieved Jarvis to start the inning and gave up a double and a walk around a couple of outs. Caden Sorrell then doubled in two runs and the Gamecock lead was down to 12-7 going to the ninth.
While the pitching was giving up runs, USC went hitless over the final three turns at the plate. However, the Gamecocks did have a ninth inning threat. They loaded the bases with one out off of a hit batter, a walk and a fielding error. Kaczmar then hit a ground ball to second and Stone was thrown out at the plate trying to score from third. Petry struck out leaving the bases loaded.
Still, the Gamecocks had a five run lead going to the bottom of the ninth. But things came unhinged in a hurry. Sweeney allowed back-to-back singles and a walk to load the bases. Up came pinch hitter Hayden Schott and he sent a 2-1 pitch out of the park in left center for a grand slam to make it a 12-11 game.
Caleb Jones (0-1) relieved Sweeney and got two outs around a single. Jones then walked the next two loading the bases for shortstop Kaeden Kent. Kent morphed into the Superman of the moment with the Aggies’ second walk-off homer of the series, a grand slam to right capping an eight run inning and a 15-12 win.
Eskew made his return to the mound since being hit in the head by a batting practice home run ball during the Arkansas series and had three good innings. He allowed two runs, one earned, with two hits and five walks. He also hit two batters. Along with allowing 13 hits, Gamecock pitchers gave up 11 walks and hit three. For the series USC pitchers walked 25 and hit eight other batters.
The Gamecocks played without center fielder and lead off hitter Nathan Hall who had injured his knee on Friday and wasn’t able to run.
USC is now 20-17 overall and 2-13 at the midway point of the SEC schedule.