COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina rallied late to even the series with a 5-2 win Friday night at a rainy Carolina Stadium.
The Commodores (29-11, 12-5) battled back to tie the game in the seventh inning with a two-out rally against South Carolina (24-15, 7-10) starter Jack Wynkoop. Tyler Campbell’s single started the rally and Ro Coleman’s double put two runners in scoring position for Rhett Wiseman. The junior came through with a single to shallow center field scoring both runners to knot the game at 2-2.
Back out for the bottom of the seventh, Vandy starter Walker Buehler struck out the leadoff hitter but walked nine-hole hitter Clark Scolamiero. The walk ended Buehler’s night and brought on Philip Pfeifer. The junior was wild immediately out of the pen issuing consecutive walks to load the bases. Ben Bowden replaced Pfeifer but walked the first batter he faced to force in the go-ahead run. A sacrifice fly pushed the Gamecocks’ lead back to two runs before Bowden struck out Elliot Caldwell to end the inning. South Carolina scored two runs on no hits in the inning with three different Vanderbilt pitchers combining to walk four batters in the inning.
Coleman pushed his hitting streak to 13 games with two more hits on Friday night going 2-for-5. Dansby Swanson and Bryan Reynolds each added two hits to the Dores’ 10-hit total in the loss.
Buehler took the loss giving up three runs on seven hits with three walks and six strikeouts over 6.1 innings.
Wynkoop tossed his first complete game of the season striking out a career-high 12 with one walk. Jordan Gore’s three hits led the way with DC Arendas’ two-run homer in the third inning giving the Gamecocks an early lead.
The Commodores and Gamecocks will decide the series tomorrow afternoon with first pitch set for noon CT on ESPN2.
