What changed for Jack Mahoney against Arkansas

Any good pitcher–especially a starter in the SEC like South Carolina’s Jack Mahoney–needs to have three pitches to be effective two, or even three times through the order. 

But over the last two weeks, Mahoney didn’t have that. Both of his breaking balls–the curveball and slider–weren’t on like they had been at times this year and the results followed. 

What changed for Jack Mahoney against Arkansas

He gave up 10 earned runs in two starts, lasting just 7.1 innings combined with five walks and five strikeouts. He’d give up a whopping 13 hits, four for extra bases, and really struggled in losses to Kentucky and Auburn. 

“If you go back and look at Auburn and Kentucky, those are two very good hitting teams with a lot of experienced guys in the lineup,” he said. “If you can’t show them another other than a fastball, you’re going to be in trouble. That’s what got me in trouble the last two weeks. My spin was probably the key to my success tonight.” 

So as he began working against Arkansas Saturday night and was landing both of those pitches, the results become tangible. 

He stitched together a great outing–arguably the best pitching performance of the season at South Carolina–in a game the Gamecocks desperately needed to win. 

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Not only did it give guarantee the Gamecocks a winning record in SEC play this season, but it also snapped a five-game losing streak. And it served as an indicator Mahoney could be rounding into form down the stretch. 

“I just knew A–we needed a win badly. Then we needed me to put my best foot forward. Coach Parker challenged me before this outing,” he said. “I remember after Vanderbilt coach (Justin) Parker challenged me pretty well. He said, ‘We need you to be better.’ and I said OK. I think today it finally came into play. I’m excited for tomorrow to watch my guys go.” 

When Mahoney had three, sometimes even four, pitches working against the Razorbacks he looked like a weekend arm in the SEC and for South Carolina.

The biggest difference was his command, which had been inconsistent at best over the last two weekends. He was walking too many guys, and when he was throwing strikes they were center-cut. 

Mixing like he did allows him to keep guys guessing and get a lot of weak contact. And he was getting Razorbacks off balance with his changeup. It’s a pitch he’s really worked on over the course of the season. 

No changeup bigger than one to Kendall Diggs in the fifth inning, striking the lefty out with one while a runner stood at second base.

“I remember it was a changeup. It was really loud in here. It’s probably the coolest thing I’ve ever done. Just seeing these people on their feet screaming and silencing them with that pitch,” Mahoney said. “It’s my changeup, which I’ve worked really hard on. Coach Parker hasn’t let me give up on it. With a runner in scoring position, and 2-2 it was awesome.” 

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Mahoney struggled, though, getting through the order multiple times. Teams had a ton of success against him when the lineup flipped over two or three times. 

He might have gotten better as the game wore on Saturday. The first time through, Arkansas went 2-for-8 with a double a walk and struck out twice. 

The second time Mahoney faced them he allowed just one hit, a single, in eight at-bats with a pair of strikeouts looking. The third and final time he faced the order Arkansas went 2-for-8 with one walk and two strikeouts. 

Mahoney allowed both of those hits in the seventh inning. He promptly erased them with a double play and a strikeout. 

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“His command was good again today. He had not been quite as good command-wise as of late. He was tonight,” Mark Kingston said. “I thought he and Cole worked extremely well together as a battery. He was just on his game all night.”  

One game a season doesn’t make, but that kind of performance in a tough place to play can only lead to optimism going forward. 

“Massive,” Braylen Wimmer said of the win. “Obviously, we were in a rut there but to come into this place and do this can turn the tides for sure.” 

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