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As with the other two games in this series, Georgia took an early lead, going up 2-0 in the first inning. Stephen Wrenn homered on the first pitch of the game, then Skyler Weber singled, Zack Bowers got hit by a pitch, and Jared Walsh came through with a base hit to bring Weber home. The Bulldogs threatened to do even more damage, but Gamecocks starter Clarke Schmidt got out of the inning without allowing anything else.
South Carolina cut Georgia's lead in half in the bottom of the inning. Gene Cone led off with a double, advanced on a wild pitch, and came home thanks to an RBI single from Jordan Gore.
The Gamecocks tied things up in the next inning. With one out, Hunter Taylor singled, and Clark Scolamiero brought him in with a two-out sac fly.
The next inning saw another South Carolina run, this time courtesy of a Kyle Martin one-out home run, which gave the Gamecocks a 3-2 lead, putting them on top for the first time in the game. South Carolina added another insurance run in the fifth inning, after Cone led off with a base hit and came home on a one-out sac fly from Max Schrock.
The Bulldogs knotted the score at 4-4 in the sixth inning. Walsh started things off with a single, Brandon Stephens was walked, and Trevor Kieboom also walked, loading the bases for Georgia with one out. A wild pitch got them one run, and a sac fly from Mike Bell brought in the other.
The Gamecocks regained the lead in the bottom of the inning, though, thanks to Hunter Taylor's first career home run.
South Carolina had their first multi-run inning of the game in the seventh. Schrock led off with a walk, Martin singled, and Patrick Harrington walked with one out to load the bases. Taylor came through with an RBI sac fly, which was followed by a two-out, two-run double from Madison Stokes.
The Bulldogs scored once more, adding their final run in the ninth inning. After a wild pitch and a walk put two runners on base with no outs, Bowers doubled to get the last run in.
After the rough first inning, Schmidt bounced back with a solid performance. He worked into the sixth inning and gave up five hits, two runs, walked two batters, and struck out eight, a career-high. At one point, he had retired 10 Bulldogs in a row. Vince Fiori and Brandon Murray also pitched, as did Jack Wynkoop, who got the final seven outs and the first save of his career.
The offense finally made significant contributions, but now they have to sustain that kind of production. Not necessarily in the form of eight-run games every time they play, but in key hits from guys up and down the lineup.
South Carolina improves to 19-9 overall and 5-4 in the SEC, while Georgia drops to 18-11 overall and 5-4 in conference play. The Gamecocks will be back in action on Tuesday, when they travel to Charleston to take on The Citadel. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.