The #4 South Carolina Gamecocks opened up a three game series with the #13 Florida Gators this weekend at Carolina Stadium. Both teams came into the series tied atop the SEC East standings at 8-5. Friday night’s game saw the Gamecocks’ Jordan Montgomery shut down the Florida bats as he went seven innings, only allowing one run and striking out eight, leading the Gamecocks to a 4-1 victory.
Saturday and Sunday saw the Gamecocks squander to late inning leads to hand the Gators the series and a one game lead in the SEC East.
Jack Wynkoop followed up Jordan Montgomery’s solid pitching performance Friday night with one of his own. Wynkoop had perhaps his best outing of the season, also going seven innings and only allowing one run. The Gamecocks had a 3-0 lead as they entered the eighth inning, but the Gators cut the lead to 3-2, and in the top of the ninth the Gators tied the game on a Casey Turgeon sac fly. The game went to extras, and in the top of the thirteenth, the Gators’ Justin Shafer brought in Jason Lombardozzi on a sac fly to give the Gators a 4-3 lead. The Gamecocks couldn’t push across a run in the bottom half of the inning, and the Gators took the game 4-3 in 13 innings.
Sunday afternoon saw almost the same script play out for the Gamecocks as Saturday’s game. Wil Crowe capped off a dominant weekend by the starting pitchers for the Gamecocks, as he went seven innings while only allowing two runs. The two teams were tied 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh when the Gamecocks went ahead on a Grayson Greiner sac fly. The Gamecocks added one more in the frame to push their lead to 4-2. The Gators answered right back in the top of the eighth. After three straight hits, Marcus Mooney couldn’t handle a hard hit ball up the middle, and two Gators scored on the error. to tie the game The Gators tacked on with an RBI double by Zach Powers, and an RBI single by Buddy Reed. Jordan Gore went yard in in the bottom half of the inning to cut the lead to 6-5, but the Gamecocks couldn’t complete the comeback, as they fell to the Gators in the rubber game 6-5.
All three games this weekend were played in front of sellout crowds at Carolina Stadium. The total attendance this weekend was marked at 24, 726.
The #4 Gamecocks are now 28-7 on the season with a 8-7 conference record. The #13 Gators are now 23-13 on the season with a 9-6 league record. The Gamecocks will next play Tuesday night at Carolina Stadium against Charleston Southern.
