South Carolina vs. VMI Game 2 Recap: Gamecocks Beat Keydets 7-2, Even Series

After Friday night’s bummer of a loss, the Gamecocks came out swinging on Saturday, beating the Keydets to get in the win column for the first time this season and tie up the series.

South Carolina took the lead early, scoring three runs in the first inning. Noah Campbell started things off with a single, TJ Hopkins followed with a base hit and Carlos Cortes walked to load the bases. Jonah Bride came through with a two-run single, and Jacob Olson hit into a one-out fielder’s choice to make it 3-0 in favor of the home team.

The Gamecocks added another run in the third inning, courtesy of a one-out homer by Madison Stokes.

VMI got on the board in the top of the fourth inning with an RBI single, making the score 4-1. South Carolina answered by tacking on another run in the bottom of the inning when Hunter Taylor went yard to make it 5-1. Stokes then smacked his second homer of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning to make the score 6-1 Gamecocks.

Both teams scored their final runs of the game in the sixth inning. The Keydets tallied a homer in the top of the inning to make it 6-2, and in the bottom of the inning, Hopkins walked, stole second and came home on an RBI single by Cortes for South Carolina’s seventh run.

After the Gamecocks stranded far too many runners yesterday, they did a better job of getting things done today, though they did leave the bases loaded again.

Starter Cody Morris had a very solid outing and got the win, making him 1-0 on the season. He worked 5.2 innings and allowed just two hits and two runs, walked two batters, and struck out six. Logan Chapman and Sawyer Bridges combined to go the rest of the way and did a nice job, keeping the Keydets bats’ pretty quiet.

South Carolina improves to 1-1, while VMI is also now 1-1. They’ll meet for the rubber game on Sunday, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. at Founder’s Park. Ridge Chapman will start on the mound for the Gamecocks.