South Carolina Baseball: Gamecocks fall in super regional opener

South Carolina baseball fans have been itching to watch their team take the field again after the Gamecocks dominated the Columbia regional last weekend. Adding to the anticipation was a matchup with SEC rival Florida, a team that Carolina swept earlier in the year.

That excitement would have a (literal) damper put on it as a 150-minute rain delay pushed first pitch back to 8:30.

The delay didn’t seem to bother the Gamecock offense as leadoff man Will McGillis (still in the DH spot) blasted the second pitch of the ball game 400 feet down the left field line to open the scoring against Florida pitcher Brandon Sproat. The Gamecocks added three more hits and another run in the inning, including two hard-hit singles by Cole Messina and Gavin Casas.

Sproat was not the most well-rested starter on the Gator staff (that would have been Golden Spikes finalist Jac Caglianone), but he was the primary opening-game starter for Florida this season.

James Hicks toed the rubber for the Gamecocks, and Florida quickly tied things up at 2-2 on a Josh Rivera long ball that was hit almost as far as McGillis’ dinger in the top half of the inning.

McGillis came to the plate again in the 2nd and delivered again. After a Dylan Brewer single and a Will Tippett bunt, #10 dumped a single into left field to plate Brewer and reclaim the lead for the Gamecocks 3-2. Carolina loaded the bases after that but couldn’t capitalize.

Hicks and Sproat both settled into the game from there as there was no more scoring through the 4th inning.

Some moderate controversy ensued in the top half of the 5th as Braylen Wimmer collided with Caglianone at first base, and the first base umpire signaled something. Wimmer assumed it was interference but was tagged out jogging to second base after the umpires ruled the contact was incidental. A passed ball, an Ethan Petry single, and a Cole Messina walk followed, so the Gamecocks likely would have scored at least one run in that situation but came up empty-handed.

The Gators, though, were not held scoreless in the 5th as Tyler Shelnut led off the inning with the game’s third long home run to tie the score at 3-3. Colby Halter followed with a double, but Hicks battled back and limited the damage to just Shelnut’s solo shot after throwing out Wyatt Langford when the Florida center fielder shot a ball up the middle that bounced off Hicks’ backside.

Will Sanders came on in relief of Hicks in the 6th and got two quick strikeouts but gave up a home run to Florida backstop BT Riopelle (his 6th postseason home run) to straightaway centerfield to give the Gators their first lead of the ball game.

UF’s 4-3 lead held through the top of the 8th inning. Florida lefty Cade Fisher held down the Gamecock offense, and Sanders, throwing almost exclusively sliders, didn’t allow another run but was taken out in the bottom of the 8th with one out. Nick Proctor struggled and surrendered multiple base runners, allowing the inherited runner to score before eventually logging the final two outs of the frame.

Trailing 5-3 with one last chance, the Gamecocks faced off against Gator closer Brandon Neely who missed the regular season series serving a suspension for excessive unsportsmanlike celebration. The flamethrowing righty mowed down Dylan Brewer and pinch hitter Carson Hornung before Will McGillis hit another huge home run to cut the lead to 5-4 with one out remaining.

Braylen Wimmer stepped to the plate with an opportunity to come up huge for South Carolina baseball but couldn’t deliver as he grounded out to third base to end the first game of the Gainesville super regional with a 5-4 Florida victory.

If South Carolina baseball is to recover and make it back to Omaha for the first time since 2012, they will have to overcome history. Super regional game 1 winners win the series at a 79% rate.

The Gamecocks will look to extend the series on Saturday when Jack Mahoney takes the mound for the first pitch at 3:00 on ESPN2.