Gamecock sports week in review

The Gamecock baseball team lost a potential win over LSU in the late innings on Friday, and a potential win over the Tigers to Mother Nature on Saturday. Otherwise, it was a sterling week for the Gamecocks who have climbed to as high as #3 in the national rankings.  

The Gamecocks opened their series with the Tigers at Founder Park Thursday night and treated the packed house to a 13-5 blowout victory. Freshman Ethan Petry was the offensive catalyst with a pair of home runs and 8 runs batted in. James Hicks earned the win in relief, improving his record to 6-0. 

The incoming weather Friday forced the teams to try to play a doubleheader. They could only get in one, and it was a dandy. The Gamecocks carried a 7-3 lead into the top of the eighth inning, but the Tigers tied the game on a grand slam and then took the lead with a run in the top of the ninth. The Gamecocks got two runners on in the bottom of the ninth but stranded both in an 8-7 defeat that snapped their 19-game home winning streak. It also was the Gamecocks’ first loss of the season when leading after seven innings. 

The second half of the doubleheader scheduled for Friday was postponed until Saturday, but with the rain coming down steadily in Columbia, the game was canceled at mid-morning and will not be made up. 

The Gamecocks earlier in the week scored an impressive 5-0 win over 13th ranked North Carolina in Charlotte. Five USC pitchers limited the Tar Heels to six hits, and Gamecocks punched across two runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth to account for the scoring.  

USC is now 28-4 overall and 9-2 in the SEC. They will host Upstate on Tuesday night then open a series at 4th ranked Vanderbilt Friday night. 

The softball team split a doubleheader at Alabama Saturday, losing in the opener 4-0 and winning game two 3-1.  In that one, the Gamecocks broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the 4th. Jen Cummings walked to start the inning, and on the first pitch, Jordan Fabian connected on her seventh home run of the season to left field.  Donnie Gobourne was in the circle for USC, and she struck out 11. 

USC dropped the series opener on Thursday 2-1 in nine innings with the Crimson Tide putting together three singles to score the winning run.  

Last Sunday Gobourne tossed a one-hit shutout in a 3-0 win at 11th ranked Florida as the Gamecocks claimed the series win over the Gators. It was their first SEC series win of the season, their first over a ranked opponent since 2019 and their first over the Gators since 2003.  The Gamecocks are now 27-11 overall and 4-8 in the SEC.   ‘They will host Clemson on Tuesday and Texas A&M this weekend. 

The 4th ranked men’s tennis team suffered their worst loss of the season Friday night 4-0 to 7th ranked Georgia in Columbia. The Gamecocks are 17-4 overall and 6-3 in the SEC and are scheduled to host Tennessee Sunday. 

The women’s team lost to 4th ranked Georgia in Athens Thursday 4-1 as their sixth game SEC winning streak was snapped.  Last Sunday the Gamecocks shut out Missouri in Columbia 4-0.  They are 12-7 overall and 7-3 in the SEC and will play at Tennessee Sunday. 

The 16th ranked beach volleyball team split a pair of decisions on Saturday and Friday at the Georgia State Diggin’ Duals in Atlanta. Saturday the Gamecocks lost to Georgia State 4-1, then rebounded to knock off UT-Martin 5-0.  Friday, the Gamecocks defeated UAB 3-2 then lost to 20th ranked Stetson 3-2. The Gamecocks are 15-10 and will host the Palmetto Invitational on Friday. 

The 4th ranked women’s golf team took home third place honors at the Wolfpack Match Play in Raleigh with a 4.5 to 0.5 win over Virginia Tech Tuesday. The Gamecocks have now recorded top five finishes in all nine of their regular season events.  The Gamecocks defeated Louisville in the quarterbacks 3-2 but lost to Duke 3-2 in the semi-finals.  The Gamecocks will compete in the SEC Championships this coming week in Birmingham. 

The men’s team concluded their regular season last Sunday with a 13th place finish at the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational Nathan Franks was the Gamecocks’ top finisher with a T-34.  Next for the Gamecocks will be the SEC Championships starting April 19th at St. Simons Island, GA.  

Four members of the women’s basketball team will be in attendance for the WNBA Draft Monday night in New York.  Center Aliyah Boston is projected by many to be the first pick in the draft. The other invitees are guard Zia Cooke, guard Brea Beal and forward Laeticia Amihere.