ATHENS— Riley King’s two-run single in the seventh inning rallied No. 23 Georgia to a 5-3 win over eighth-ranked South Carolina Friday at Foley Field.
“We showed a lot of fight tonight," King said. "You look at how we came back at Texas A&M Sunday, how we shutout Clemson and now tonight. We’re a tough team and everybody is doing their job.”
Friday marked the return of Georgia’s Ike Cousins head baseball coach Scott Stricklin, and the Bulldogs now have won seven in a row over South Carolina. Stricklin had missed the past eight games while recovering from COVID-19.
“Toughness. That was the theme and what I addressed to the team," Head Coach Scott Stricklin said. "We need to be the tougher team and I challenged them whether it was hitting with two strikes, two outs, if we fall behind. You have to find a way to get it done. That’s a really good team we just beat. They are a top 10 team that just swept Florida.”
Georgia (18-7, 3-4 SEC) erased an early 3-0 deficit to snap South Carolina’s six-game winning streak, employing eight pitchers on the night. Michael Polk picked up his first win over the year while Ben Harris notched his first save getting the final out. USC reliever Andrew Peters dropped to 2-1. The Gamecocks (17-7, 4-3 SEC) got 5 2/3 innings from junior Thomas Farr as he allowed two runs on six hits with no walks and seven strikeouts.
South Carolina put two on to start the third on a hit by a pitch and a base hit. George Callil moved them into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Freshman Luke Wagner came back to retire the next two Gamecocks getting an assist from a tremendous defensive play by Josh McAllister behind the second base bag to keep it a scoreless contest. In the fourth, USC took a 3-0 lead courtesy of a three-run home by first baseman David Mendham off Will Pearson.
Georgia got one back in its half of the frame when Connor Tate smashed his fourth home run. It extended his hitting streak to five games and made it 3-1. Jack Gowen came in to start the fifth and the Gamecocks put two on with two out for the nation’s leading home run hitter in Wes Clarke who had 14. Gowen struck him out to keep it 3-1.
McAllister led off the bottom of the sixth with a double for his fourth three-hit game of the year. With two outs, he advanced to third on a wild pitch. USC lifted Farr in favor of left-hander Julian Bosnic to face freshman Corey Collins. He lined a run-scoring single to center to cut it to 3-2.
USC put a runner at third with two outs in the seventh, and the Bulldogs turned to Polk to face Clarke, and he got him to pop out. In the bottom of the frame, freshman Fernando Gonzalez led off with a double. Josh Stinson came on to pinch-run while USC brought in right-hander Andrew Peters.
Georgia responded by loading the bases and King delivered a two-run single to right to put the Bulldogs in front 4-3 and extend his hitting streak to six games. Darryn Pasqua came on to start the eighth and retired the Gamecocks in order. Georgia added an insurance run due in part to a two-out error by shortstop George Callil. South Carolina put two on in the ninth following a Bulldog miscue when Harris came on to get the final out.
The series continues Saturday with first pitch slated for 2:02 p.m.
