USC avoided a sweep to end the regular season
South Carolina managed to salvage the final game of the series against Florida and the final game of the regular season, coming away with a 4-1 victory.
The Gamecocks got on the board early, taking a 1-0 lead in the first on a solo shot by Josiah Sightler. They added another run in the next inning, making it 2-0 after Braylen Wimmer started things off with a double and later scored on a base hit by Colin Burgess. The Gators ended the shutout in the bottom of the inning, making the score 2-1 courtesy of a Colby Halter single.
Sightler got that run back for USC in the third, when he went yard again to make it a 3-1 game. That score held until the seventh inning, which was halted due to weather for a little less than two hours. When the game resumed, the Cocks tacked on the final run of the game when Matt Hogan scored on a base hit by Evan Stone.
Carolina starter Will Sanders worked just one inning in an effort to keep him available for the SEC Tournament. He didn’t allow any hits or runs, walked two batters, and struck three out. Cade Austin, Matthew Becker, and John Gilreath combined to go the rest of the way for the Gamecocks, and Austin got the win, making him 5-1, while Gilreath earned the save, his first. UF starter Nick Pogue pitched 6.1 innings and gave up five hits and four runs. He didn’t walk any batters, struck out six, and took the loss, making him 3-3. Sightler paced USC at the plate with three hits and two RBI, while three different Gators tallied one hit and Halter recorded their only RBI.
The Cocks finish the regular season with a record of 27-27 overall and 13-17 in the SEC, while Florida finishes 35-20 overall and 15-15 in conference play. The teams will meet again on Tuesday in the first round of the SEC Tournament.