First inning woes continue for the #Gamecocks in a 6-3 loss to Texas A&M (Updated w/Postgame Audio)

For the first time this season, the South Carolina baseball team is in a true losing streak, and the reason is quite simple: they’ve been outclassed early in games.

After scoring four runs in the first inning of a 9-2 victory on Friday night, Texas A&M scored three times in the opening frame Saturday to dispatch USC 6-3 and claim their SEC weekend series at Founders Park. It’s the second straight series loss for the Gamecocks and Carolina’s third consecutive setback overall.

Saturday’s game repeated a recent trend for the Gamecocks, who have struggled to answer the opening bell. USC (21-10/5-6) has been outscored 16-3 during the first three innings in back-to-back losses to the Aggies and this past Wednesday’s 8-0 defeat at the hands of Georgia Southern.

Texas A&M (28-3/8-3), which entered the weekend inside the SEC’s top five in virtually every offensive category, wasted no time in jumping on Carolina starting pitcher Tyler Pitzer. The Aggies scored their three first inning runs on three base hits, sparked by a lead-off home run from Gavin Grahovac.

Those early runs put tremendous stress on a Gamecock lineup that was a bit different than Friday night’s card submitted by head coach Mark Kingston. After getting banged up in the series opener, catcher Cole Messina did not play on Saturday and was replaced by Dalton Reeves behind home plate. Tyler Causey and Lee Ellis also got opportunities on the infield, replacing Gavin Casas and Will Tippett. The trio acquitted themselves quite nicely, combining to go 4-for-12 with two runs scored and an RBI.

Trailing 4-0 going to the bottom of the third, the Gamecocks got back into the game with a little two-out magic. Kennedy Jones drove in a run with an RBI single before Causey plated a run on an infield single. However, that was as close as USC would get to the red-hot Aggies.

Texas A&M added an insurance run in the fifth and one more in the ninth, sandwiched around a pinch-hit HR from Gavin Casas in the 8th, to seal the 6-3 triumph in Columbia.

The series finale is set for Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m.

Box Score

USC HC Mark Kingston — Postgame Comments

Ty Good and Parker Noland — Postgame Comments