South Carolina sweeps Cornell in final nonconference series of 2020
South Carolina earned its second weekend sweep of the season with a 6-1 victory win over Cornell on Sunday afternoon at Founders Park.
Brannon Jordan pitched five strong innings and the Gamecocks hit three home runs that accounted for five of the six runs.
The Gamecocks had lost two straight weekend series but scored 26 runs and allowed just six in sweeping the Big Red of the Ivy League.
“The common theme this weekend is, you’re as good as your starting pitching, and Brannon Jordan was really good again. He set the tone for us,” South Carolina coach Mark Kingston said. “I told the team I thought it was a workmanlike win. We should have done some things better, but we came out and won the game.”
Star of the game
Jordan continued his impressive start to the season in improving to 2-0. The junior right-hander pitched five innings and allowed one run on two hits while striking out a career-high 10 with one walk.
“Brannon did basically what every pitcher did this weekend,” Kingston said. “We had a plan and executed the plan with a lot of success. It was good to see him bounce back with his command this weekend.”
His ERA rose slightly to 1.71, best among the starting pitchers.
In 21 innings pitched this season, Jordan has allowed four earned runs on just seven hits. He’s struck out a team-high 32 and walked nine. A week ago, he struggled with control against Clemson but was efficient against the Big Red. He threw 49 strikes among his 65 pitches.
“I wasn’t great against Clemson, so my focus was to come in, throw strikes and get quick outs,” Jordan said. “I located my fastball and slider and just went with that all day.”
Let’s play long ball
South Carolina increased its season home run total to 18 by hitting three Sunday. Brady Allen started things off with a solo shot in the second inning, his second of the season. Jeff Heinrich hit his first of the season, a solo blast into the visitor bullpen in the fifth inning.
Andrew Eyster capped the day by hitting a three-run blast off the batter’s eye in straightaway centerfield in the sixth inning. Eyster had struggled in the first two games of the series with one hit in eight at-bats. He was moved to eighth in the order and responded with a 2-for-3 performance with a walk and three RBIs.
“This was one of the few games we’ve played all year where the wind wasn’t blowing in,” Kingston said. “We got into some balls today and guys were rewarded.”
Eyster is second on the team with three home runs.
“It feels good. I’m really confident in this offense going into The Citadel and next weekend,” Allen said.
Bullpen excellence
The Clemson series was a wakeup call for the South Carolina bullpen, which responded with an impressive week. They had seven untimely walks against the Tigers in 10 innings.
In the three-game sweep against Cornell, nine different pitchers threw out of the bullpen and only one allowed a run. Those nine pitchers accounted for 10 2/3 innings this weekend and allowed three runs on five hits with 20 strikeouts and five walks.
“I thought it was a productive week for us, especially our pitchers,” Kingston said. “We’re seeing where guys are most comfortable. The nice thing is, we haven’t had to ask guys to do too much.”
Jordan believes the bullpen can be that good all the time.
“Anytime those guys come in and fill up the zone, pound it, we have a really good chance to win,” he said. “It definitely gives the confidence to go in there with the backing of the bullpen. When those guys are good, they’re really good.”
WHEN DO THE GAMECOCKS PLAY NEXT?
Who: South Carolina (11-4) vs. The Citadel (10-3)
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Founders Park
TV: Streaming online on SEC Network Plus via WatchESPN
Radio: 107.5 FM The Game in Columbia area
This story was originally published March 8, 2020 at 3:31 PM with the headline "South Carolina sweeps Cornell in final nonconference series of 2020."