What do you do when your pitching falls apart in the late innings?
Look to the offense.
And so South Carolina hammered Florida, 11-3, to stay alive in the SEC tournament.
Not the Bee Gees -- thankfully. But the same concept.
South Carolina scored five runs in the second inning and added five more in the eighth in an 11-3 victory over Florida in the second round of the Southeastern Conference baseball tournament today. ...
Parker Bangs, Harley Lail and Resse Havens each had an RBI hit to chase Florida starter Billy Bullock (4-4) after only 1 1/3 innings. ...
The Gamecocks blew the game open in the eighth with another five-run inning, capped by Justin Smoak’s three-run homer. It was the 60th home run of his career.
South Carolina starter Nick Godwin (7-3) gave up three runs in seven innings and struck out seven to pick up the win. Mike Cisco pitched two scoreless innings to close the game.
So now on to Vanderbilt, against whom Blake Cooper will likely get the ball. Coverage is on FSN and XM Radio.
You might remember Vanderbilt as the first team to hand the Gamecocks a series loss this year -- in the first league series of the season and what should have served as a warning flag.
Cooper got drilled in his start against Vanderbilt, not a terribly good omen for a team with no margin for error.
C&F likely doesn't need to remind you that the tournament is now one-and-done for the Gamecocks. And the competition doesn't get easier from here.