Vanderbilt 9-USC 5 Game Summary
- Vanderbilt put six runs on the board in the bottom of the first against USC starter Alex Valentin, the Gamecocks got back to within 7-5, but Vandy added two more runs in the eighth to clinch the series victory.
- The Commodores rocked Valentine for six runs on six hits in the bottom of the first. An error by shortstop KJ Scobey on the first hitter opened the floodgates. Four runs scored on RBI singles. A fifth came on on a fielder’s choice to Scobey. And the final run scored on a steal of home. Two of the runs were unearned.
- The Gamecocks were hitless through the first three innings, then got to Vandy starter Tyler Baird in the fourth on a two-out, two-run double by Scobey. A throwing error on the third baseman put runners on the corners, and Will Craddock singled in a run to make it a 6-3 game.
- USC closed to within 6-5 in the seventh with Luke Yuhasz doubling in one run, and Tyler Bak later singling him in.
- After giving up that run in the third, Valentin and Zach Russell shut out the Commodores over the next four innings. But in the eighth, Russell loaded the bases with a double and two walks. He was replaced by Josh Gregoire, and he gave up one run on a sac fly and a second run on a fielder’s choice to short for a 9-5 Vandy lead.
- Dawson Harman led off the ninth for USC with a single, and with one out, Yuhasz reached on an error by the first baseman, putting runners on the corners. Patrick Evans then lined out to left for the second out. Harman was then thrown out at the plate to end the game while attempting to score on a ball that got past the catcher. The ball ricocheted back to the catcher who fired to his pitcher covering the plate, and he got the tag down before Harman’s foot could hit the plate.
- Valentin took the loss to fall to 1-5 on the season. The Gamecocks have lost 11 straight and are 22-33 overall and 7-22 in the SEC.
- Following Saturday’s results, South Carolina is locked into the 15th seed for next week’s SEC Tournament. The Gamecocks will play in the 5:30 PM Eastern Time game against the 10th seed, which currently is Tennessee.
