Baseball Clinches Series Win over No. 4 Ole Miss with Saturday Victory
May 5, 2018
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The University of South Carolina baseball team scored in double figures in runs for the third straight game and Adam Hill allowed just three hits in six innings as the Gamecocks defeated No. 4 Ole Miss, 11-6, Saturday afternoon (May 5) at Founders Park. South Carolina has now won three straight SEC series, the first time for the Gamecocks since the 2012 season.
Matt Williams got the scoring started in the bottom of the third with a no doubter to right field for a solo home run. The Gamecocks were not done yet, as TJ Hopkins walked and Carlos Cortes singled following the homer. Hopkins and Cortes stole second and third, moving into scoring position for Madison Stokes. Stokes delivered with a sacrifice fly that scored Hopkins. Jonah Bride came to the plate and extended his 10-game hitting streak with a single to right field that scored Cortes, giving the Gamecocks a 3-0 lead.
Ole Miss got on the board in the top of the fourth off a pair of singles from Cole Zabowski and Will Golsan, cutting the Carolina lead to 3-1.
The Gamecocks responded quickly with five runs in their half of the fourth. LT Tolbert singled to right field and advanced to second on a throwing error by the Ole Miss right fielder. A sacrifice bunt by Jacob Olson moved Tolbert to third. Matt Williams stepped to the plate and hit an RBI single to the right side, scoring Tolbert. Williams was rewarded with a run of his own off a Hopkins single, increasing the Gamecock lead to 5-1. Cortes doubled to score Cullen and Hopkins and was brought home by a Stokes RBI single, making the score 8-1.
Cortes had another double in the bottom of the fifth to score Williams and Hopkins and give Carolina the 10-1 lead.
Ole Miss fought back in the top of the eighth, scoring five runs off an RBI single, an RBI double, RBI groundout and a two RBI home run by Grae Kessinger, cutting the Gamecock lead to 10-6.
Carolina responded again with a two-out double from Justin Row, followed by a double from Tolbert that scored a run, pushing the Gamecock lead to final 11-6 score.
Hill earned the win, pitching six innings with three hits, six strikeouts and one unbelievable behind the back catch in the second to end the inning. Eddy Demurias pitched the final 1.2 innings, striking out a batter and allowing a hit.
Cortes and Williams had three hits apiece. Cortes tied a season high with four RBI, while Williams scored three runs. Bride and Tolbert had two hits and Hopkins also scored three runs.
GAMECHANGER
South Carolina was held scoreless in the first two innings but the solo home run by Matt Williams in the third started the scoring for Carolina, giving them the momentum to score 10 runs in a three-inning span.
KEY STAT
The Gamecocks had double digit hits for the eighth time in the last nine games, pounding out 14 hits in Saturday’s win.
NOTABLE
- The Gamecocks have won three straight SEC series for the first time since 2012.
- Matt Williams home run is the 59th for South Carolina this year, passing last year’s total of 58 after just 46 games.
- Carlos Cortes doubled twice for the first time in his career in the win. Cortes was 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored.
- Ole Miss allowed double digit runs in back-to-back games for the first time since the end of the 2010 season.
- Attendance at Founders Park was 7,692.
- Carolina has now won eight of its last nine games and has double figures in hits in eight of its last nine games.
- Adam Hill has six or more strikeouts in eight of his starts this season.
UP NEXT
South Carolina and Ole Miss will wrap up the series this Sunday (May 6) with a noon start. The game will be televised on SEC Network.
