South Carolina 9-#2 Texas 1 Game Summary
Founders Park
- South Carolina coach Monte Lee called the Thursday night win the team’s best overall performance of the season. The Gamecocks scored nine runs on 11 hits, hit two homers, only left three on base, did not commit an error, and had a trio of pitchers allow one run on six hits while striking out 12, walking three and hitting one.
- The Gamecocks scored all the runs they would need in the second. The five runs in the inning were the most for them in an SEC inning this season. With second and third and one out, Beau Hollins grounded to first to score one run. Will Craddock followed with an RBI single to short. Erik Parker double to put runners on second and third with two outs. Patrick Evans drove in both runners with a triple to left, and then he scored on a Tyler Bak double to left.
- Both teams scored in the third, the Longhorns with a solo homer, and the Gamecocks with a Craddock RBI single.
- Evans launched a two run homer with two outs in the sixth to make it 8-1, and LeCroy added a solo blast in the seventh to close out the scoring.
- Alex Valentin started on the mound for USC and scattered five hits with one run over 3.2 innings. Zach Russell (3-0) allowed one hit over the next 2.1 innings and lowered his ERA to 1.56. And Alex Philpott finished up with three perfect innings to earn his first save of the season.
- For the game, USC batted .324, and with two outs, the average was .467 (7-15). The Gamecocks were 4-9 with runners in scoring position. Evans led the offense with three hits and four RBIs. He raised his average to .337.
- The Gamecocks roughed up Texas starter Ruger Riojas. He was 5-0 with a 1.59 ERA going into the game. He gave up six runs on eight hits as his ERA climbed to 3.74.
- USC is now 15-16 overall and 2-8 in the SEC. Texas had its four game winning streak snapped and is 24-5 overall and 7-3 in the SEC.
Monte Lee, Patrick Evans, Alex Valentin Postgame
