South Carolina blows late lead as Alabama comes back to win series opener
Winning in the SEC is tough. But winning on the road in the SEC is an even more difficult task.
For the third time in four games, South Carolina has learned just that. The No. 18 Gamecocks (20-6, 4-3 SEC) let a two-run lead slip away as No. 16 Alabama came back to win 4-3 on Thursday.
“Game one on the road, we were in control of the game most of the game. And we let it slip away at the end. That’s disappointing,” head coach Mark Kingston said.
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To lead off the game, Parker Noland put together a very high-quality at-bat. After falling behind in the count, he fouled off multiple pitches to stay alive. And on the ninth pitch, he hit a double into left center field, barely beating the throw in.
After a Cole Messina groundout moved him to third, Kennedy Jones drove Noland in with an RBI groundout to first to score the game’s first run.
Later in the frame, with Ethan Petry on first, Talmadge LeCroy hit a high fly ball into left field. As the ball continued to carry, Alabama left fielder Ian Petrutz tried to make a leaping catch at the wall. But instead, the ball went off his glove and rolled around, allowing Petry to score all the way from first.
With some immediate run support, Eli Jones was able to settle in nicely. After carrying a perfect game into the seventh inning in his last start, the right-hander retired the first 10 batters he faced before allowing his first hit in the fourth.
“I don’t know that anyone in the league is being as consistent in game ones as we are with Eli,” Kingston said. “His development’s been huge for us. Wish we could’ve got that win for him. Very disappointed we didn’t get that win for him.”
Even after that, he continued to pitch well. He did work himself into a minor jam in the fifth, allowing a run to score on a wild pitch. But with runners on the corners and two outs, Jones got a looking strikeout to prevent any more damage.
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But in the sixth, Jones would find himself in some more trouble as Alabama had two runners aboard with one out. This felt like the moment where things were going to completely shift in the Crimson Tide’s favor.
On an 0-1 pitch, Kade Snell hit a ground ball, which Will Tippett proceeded to gobble up. He stepped on second and fired to first for an inning-ending double play. Just like that, momentum was erased from the Tide.
In the very next frame, Gavin Casas hit a first pitch bullet that went over the right field wall. It was a solo shot that gave the Gamecocks a 3-1 lead.
“We were in control of the ballgame,” Kingston said. “But again, when there’s plays to be made, you’ve got to make them. We just didn’t make a couple plays that we normally make today. On the road in the SEC, it can cost you in a one-run ballgame.”
Jones would pitch into the seventh for the second straight outing. But after giving up a leadoff double, his night was over after 95 pitches. He finished with five strikeouts and one walk, only giving up two runs.
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South Carolina turned to its bullpen and called on Chris Veach to preserve the lead. He’d give up a long fly out that moved the runner at second up 90 feet. And after a groundout to short with one out, Alabama cut the deficit down to one.
Really trying to keep the score where it was, the Gamecocks went right back to their bullpen, calling on left-hander Garrett Gainey with two outs. But his first pitch to TJ McCants was served up into right field for a game-tying double as Petry couldn’t come down with the ball after an attempt at a leaping catch in front of the right field wall.
“The plan went to form. We had Gainey ready to face the lefty who is much better against righties than he is lefties,” Kingston said. “I’d have to see the replay, but Gainey probably made not as good of a pitch as he wanted to make. Guy hit the ball off the top of the wall. Sometimes that happens.”
In the eighth, South Carolina quickly put itself in a good spot to try and take the lead. The Gamecocks had runners on the corners and one out with Talmadge LeCroy up. But he tried to lay down a bunt twice, but the second attempt was popped straight in the air for the pitcher to catch with ease.
“We had first and third, they had a sinker ball pitcher on the mound. Talmadge is not one of our faster runners so they’re trying to set up a double play there,” Kingston said. They were not playing safety squeeze defense. We watched the first baseman, he did not charge. So it was there if we execute. … Look, it’s a play that if you execute it, it’s not defensible. And it could’ve given us that one more run that could’ve been the difference. Sometimes you just don’t get it done.”
With the bases loaded and two outs, Dylan Brewer rolled over to first to come away with a big goose egg in the inning.
“In a game like this on the road, there’s going to be big moments for both sides,” Kingston said. “And we got out of a couple jams when we were on defense and so did they.”
Alabama got something cooking in the home half of the eighth as it put runners on the corners with one out. After getting the second out, Gainey threw a wild pitch that allowed a runner to score from third to give the Tide the lead.
Down to their final out in the ninth, Noland beat a throw into second for a double to keep the Gamecocks’ hopes alive. With Messina at the plate, he struck out swinging to seal the deal.
Up next: South Carolina will go for the series win over the Tide on Friday night. First pitch is at 7 p.m. on SEC Network Plus. Right-hander Dylan Eskew (2-2, 3.81 ERA) will make the start on the mound.
