USC played bonus baseball for the first time all season and stayed undefeated in conference play
No. 11 South Carolina needed extra innings for the first time this year, but it was worth it as they walked off No. 22 Missouri for the second time this series, winning 5-4 and locking up a sweep.
Both teams were scoreless until the fourth inning, when the Gamecocks got on the board after Talmadge LeCroy walked with two outs and Carson Hornung hit a homer to give them a 2-0 lead. That was short-lived though, as the Tigers tied things up at 2-2 in the next inning on a double by Matt Garcia and a sac fly from Carlos Peña.
Mizzou took the lead in the sixth, going up 4-2 courtesy of a Ty Wilmsmeyer triple and Garcia then grounding out to bring him home. That score held until the eighth, when USC tied the game back up after Gavin Casas walked and Ethan Petry went yard to make the score 4-4.
Nine innings wasn’t enough, despite both teams having scoring chances, but the Cocks finally broke through in the 12th, when Will Tippett walked to start things off and later scored on a single by Petry.
Carolina starter Jack Mahoney worked 4.1 innings and allowed three hits and two runs. He also walked three batters and struck three out. Eli Jones, Chris Veach, Cade Austin, Austin Williamson, Eli Jerzembeck, and Matthew Becker combined to pitch the other 7.2 innings, allowing a total of four hits and two runs, walking four batters, and striking out 11. Becker got the win, making him 2-0. Tigers starter Austin Troesser went three innings and gave up one hit and zero runs. He also issued one walk and struck out six batters. Wilmsmeyer took the loss, making him 0-1.
Petry led the Gamecocks at the plate with three hits and three RBI. Wilmsmeyer paced Missouri with two hits, while Garcia tallied two RBI.
USC now 23-2 on the season and 6-0 in conference play, while the Tigers are 17-6 overall and 3-3 in the SEC. The Cocks will be back in action on Tuesday, when they travel to play the Citadel. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.