South Carolina controls middle innings, ties series against No. 12 Oklahoma

After South Carolina’s Friday loss to No. 12 Oklahoma, Paul Mainieri took to the podium to admit his team was not a power-hitting squad. The Sooners had hit three solo home runs to South Carolina’s none on the evening.

On Saturday afternoon, the Gamecocks knocked two home runs for a total of four its 11 runs in the 11-5 win over the Sooners.

Hitting was a key attribute in the South Carolina win. The Gamecocks totaled four innings where at least six batters got in the box.

“Obviously, getting our first SEC win of the year is a big deal,” Mainieri said. “Man, I tell you, I told you after the game yesterday even though we lost I thought our hitters really competed hard against a great pitcher, didn’t back down and they just carried it into today.”

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A dominant fourth inning led the way for South Carolina in the win. A three-up three-down Oklahoma side of the inning set up a lead-off homer for Kennedy Jones on the Gamecocks side.

The hit was Jones’ second home run of the season, his first since Winthrop on Feb. 18.

“It felt amazing after struggling a little bit,” Jones said. “It’s baseball. As long as you show up every day, forget about the other day, you’re always good to go.”

Mainieri jokingly said later he was a little disappointed in Kennedy, predicting after Friday’s loss that he was gonna get four hits on Saturday.

“He only got three. I’m gonna have to have a talk with that young man,” Mainieri said while laughing.

Strong pitching early was what set up a lot of what the Gamecocks were able to do in the fourth. Jake McCoy worked himself out of jams in the opening two innings, throwing four strikeouts and a throw down to third catching a stealing Jason Walk with runners in scoring position. However, the second inning jam wouldn’t come without giving up the game’s opening run to Oklahoma.

McCoy said you cant let pitches roll over, especially when you get into situations like that.

“Just splitting pitches and going from pitch to pitch,” McCoy said. “Thought I did a good job with splitting them and just, taking each guy as their own individual guy and working my way out of it.”

Working out of difficult situations is something Terry Rooney talks with the pitching staff constantly, Mainieri said.

“You don’t wanna walk lead-off hitters and you don’t want to walk batters, but they are gonna get hits and the kids aren’t perfect,” Mainieri said. “Not giving up and to stay the course and to keep battling right to the end is something we emphasize with all our players and certainly with the pitchers.”

Both teams found the strike zone well in the first as five of the six total batters, including all three Gamecocks, faced sat down on strikes.

In total, McCoy pitched five innings and recorded six strikeouts including four force outs and three ground outs. McCoy also totaled 109 pitches, allowing four runs and nine hits in 25 batters faced.

“Even though Jake didn’t throw shut out innings, I thought he did a great job,” Mainieri said.

McCoy called the game the hardest battle of his collegiate career.

“I’d say probably my entire career. I just had to go out there and fight every single inning, but I just powered through,” McCoy said.

McCoy said he came out the game more mentally exhausted than physically.

The majority of the Sooners offense came in the third, leading off the inning with two base hits and a home run to give the Sooners the lead back, 3-1. South Carolina subsequentially would set up a precursor for it’s strong fourth quarter with four hits and one run to pull back one on the Sooners lead after three.

Oklahoma scored three runs in the game’s opening three innings. Comparatively, the Sooners only plated two more runners after that point. After allowing seven hits in the opening three innings, South Carolina only allowed two more the rest of the way, including none between the sixth and ninth innings.

The South Carolina offense didn’t slow down as relief pitcher Michael Catalano entered for Oklahoma in the fifth, either. South Carolina took the right-hander’s second pitch to right field for a base hit. The hit set up a Jase Woita sacrifice fly to extend the Gamecocks lead, 6-4. The Sooners wouldn’t leave the inning without sacrificing another four runs and changing pitchers again.

In total, South Carolina plated 7 runs, totaled six hits including 16 batters in the box over the two innings. The Gamecocks continued piling on runs, scoring an additional two runs before games end.

“We’re trying to earn people’s respect, you got to go out there and earn that,” Mainieri said. “You earn it by playing well against good teams … There’s never been an ounce of negativity in the dugout, everybody’s been upbeat, positive, believing in themselves. And I think it shows the way our hitters are going up there and attacking the ball … We had some really really clutch hits today that allows you to put a crooked number up on the board.”

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