South Carolina baseball's ninth-inning comeback comes up short

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The South Carolina baseball team couldn’t get it done against UNC Greensboro on Saturday, losing 5-4 in game two of the opening weekend series. 

The Gamecocks batted through the lineup in the ninth inning scoring three runs, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback. 

“Greensboro played really good baseball today, I don’t think we played poorly. It just came down to that play at the end, their centerfielder made a really nice play. Sightler hit that ball the way you want him to hit it and we came up the one run short, so, proud of the comeback at the end,” head coach Mark Kingston said. “They held us at bay for a while and just a little bit too little too late at the end.” 

UNCG and South Carolina both ended the game with 11 hits. The deciding factor came down to at-bats with runners on base. The Spartans were 7-for-17 with runners on as opposed to the Gamecocks who were 5-for-22.

Right-hander James Hicks started on the bump for the Gamecocks, pitching 4.1 innings while striking out five batters. Hicks seemed to pitch fine at times but gave up big hits in big moments, allowing four runs.

“I put that loss on me, a starter can’t go four and a third and expect to win so I gotta be better next time,” Hicks said. “It does feel good to have the first one under my belt but I gotta be better.”

The first three innings were quiet offensively for both teams with a total of four hits being totaled between the two. 

The Spartans were able to break through in the fourth inning with four hits that led to their first two runs of the game. 

UNCG did more damage in the fifth inning. Two singles and a double were enough to add two more runs to the scoreboard, taking a 4-0 lead into the back half of the game. 

Hicks was eventually replaced in the fifth by Parker Coyne. He inherited a jam but was able to get out of it when he struck out two batters to end the inning. 

Coyne was one of five relief pitchers that saw the mound today. Combined they threw 4.2 innings, struck out eight batters, and only gave up one run. After the game, Kingston praised his relief pitchers for keeping the Gamecocks in the game. 

“Obviously, they kept us in the ball game. [Michael ]Esposito, I thought was really good. CJ [Weins] was really good. Aidan [Hunter] gave us a scoreless ending. [Matthew] Becker had good stuff, but he walked two guys and obviously we know that can’t happen. Parker [Coyne] got himself out of a jam that he created with two walks but he did have the guts to get out of that jam,” Kingston said. “So we just need guys to come out of the zone with the best stuff they have, out of  the bullpen with the best stuff they have and they need to pound that strike zone.”

South Carolina’s bats finally woke up in the bottom of the seventh, with three hits in the inning. Josiah Sightler helped the Gamecocks finally get on the board, hitting an RBI single that scored Braylen Wimmer. 

Sightler had seen two opportunities with runners on base in prior at bats and came up empty. He finished the game 1-for-5.

The run there would be the only one the Gamecocks could muster up. A popout and ground out from Talmadge LeCroy and Kevin Madden ended the inning. 

Any momentum that the Gamecock offense had in the sixth completely fizzled out going into the seventh. Colin Burgess, Matt Hogan and Brandt Belk went three up and three down in the inning.

Hunter was tasked with taking on the UNCG lineup in the eighth. Hunter took a line drive off his side on the second batter he faced. Despite the scary situation, he stayed in and finished the inning allowing no hits. 

“I think he earned a lot of respect from his teammates, bouncing back not only to get the out on that very play, but to get the next guy up too,” Kingston said. “So he’s fine, he’ll be ready to go next time.”

After UNCG was able to add another insurance run off of Becker, South Carolina went into the ninth down 5-1. 

The Gamecocks proceeded to have their best inning of the game, tallying three clutch hits and two walks, leading to three runs. 

Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough and Sightler’s pop out to center ended the game. South Carolina will look to win one more against UNCG tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. Sightler is scheduled to make the start. 

• USC-UNC Greensboro Game 2 box score
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