South Carolina baseball can’t hold on, drops series to Northwestern
South Carolina baseball’s weekend might have started with a chilly extra-innings loss.
The Gamecocks couldn’t avoid extras to finish it.
After a slow start Sunday, USC went ahead but saw a lead slip away and dropped the series to Northwestern 4-3 in 10 innings. The Gamecocks (5-2) have only a midweek game between them and the annual rivalry series with Clemson.
Gamecocks coach Mark Kingston is usually even-keeled at the end of games, but there was some emotion in his voice after this one.
“I hope this one stings for them,” Kingston said. “And they’re a captive audience as we continue to teach them how to win.”
Northwestern’s winning run came when USC pitcher Graham Lawson walked Charlie Maxwell to force in the go-ahead run with the bases loaded.
“Really wasn’t in command of my fastball good enough,” Lawson said of the run-scoring at-bat. He walked three and gave up a hit in one inning. “The guy fouled off a ton of 3-2 pitches I put right there for him. Just didn’t make the pitch when I needed to.”
Outfielder Noah Campbell delivered a big home run by smashing a first pitch, his first homer of the young season, after a pair of walks in the bottom of the fifth with two on. Northwestern tied it up with a solo shot in the sixth and a hard-hit sac fly in the seventh.
The Gamecocks offense was quiet early on, and Northwestern took advantage of USC miscues to get on the board. A walk, throwing error on a pick-off attempt and two wild pitches plated the Wildcats’ Jake Anderson in the top of the third.
“We’ve got a really big series coming next week,” Gamecocks outfielder Andrew Eyster said. “It’s one of the biggest rivalries in college sports. Just keep our focus on that and kind of throw this away. Learn from it, but pretend like it never happened at the same time.”
Star of the game
As South Carolina’s offense was quiet, junior pitcher Brannon Jordan delivered, even with the blip that allowed Northwestern’s first run.
In his second start, the junior college product struck out nine and had efficient stretches where he got quick outs. All told, he needed 92 pitches to go six innings, which included a protracted third. He had to work out of a self-made jam that inning with the error coming on his throw, plus the wild pitches.
“He showed me he’s one of our best guys,” Kingston said. “Two earned runs in six innings, we’ll take that.”
He allowed two runs, his first of the season, after a five-inning shutout last week.
Catch and release
South Carolina right fielder Andrew Eyster delivered the play of the day in the field in the top of the seventh inning. He tracked down a deep shot and jumped into the wall to catch it, then gunned down the runner at first to end the inning.
The play likely saved at least a run, although the tying run did come in on the sacrifice fly.
“It was kind of almost a panic, just throw it, try to get it back in the infield play,” Eyster said. “Really wasn’t sure what was going on after that.”
Kingston said the umpires told him they couldn’t review whether or not the Northwestern runner had tagged up from third.
Beyond the box score
South Carolina had to solve a pitcher as unusual as one will find in the sport. Northwestern Sunday starter Tyler Uberstine is a redshirt sophomore, but he had not pitched before this season.
He starting his career as a 5-foot-6 club baseball player at Southern Cal. Now 6-foot-1, he worked his way into competing for a roster shot with the Trojans.
That didn’t work out, so he put his name in the transfer portal and caught on with the Wildcats. In two starts he’s got a 5.40 ERA in 10 innings with 11 strikeouts.
“He worked really, really quick,” Eyster said. “That’s something we got to do better job of, slowing him down.”
WHEN DO THE GAMECOCKS PLAY NEXT?
Who: South Carolina vs. North Florida
When: 4 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Founders Park
TV: Streaming online on SEC Network Plus via WatchESPN
Radio: 107.5 FM in Columbia area
This story was originally published February 23, 2020 at 5:03 PM with the headline "South Carolina baseball can’t hold on, drops series to Northwestern."
