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The Gamecocks struggled early against Arkansas on Wednesday night and were never able to catch up with the Razorbacks, despite a mid-game rally.
Arkansas took a 3-0 lead in the first inning on a three-run homer, then tacked on three more runs in the second inning on a pair of RBI singles and an RBI sac fly, making the score 6-0. South Carolina ended the shutout in the third inning, after Jacob Olson singled to start the inning, advanced on an error and a wild pitch, and came home on another error, making it 6-1. The Razorbacks answered by scoring two runs in the bottom of the inning thanks to an RBI single and an RBI sac fly, putting them on top 8-1.
Two more Arkansas runs came in the fourth inning courtesy of a two-run homer that put the Razorbacks in double digits, making the score 10-1. The Gamecocks’ best inning was the sixth, as they rallied for five runs. With one out, Kyle Jacobsen walked, Madison Stokes singled, and Mason Streater made it safely to first on an error, loading the bases. Danny Blair walked to force in a run, then LT Tolbert blasted a grand slam to make it 10-6. Arkansas got one run back in the bottom of the inning on another homer to make the score 11-6.
The Razorbacks added two more runs in the seventh inning on a two-run single that bumped the score up to 13-6. USC scored the final two runs of the game in the top of the ninth inning. Noah Campbell and Jacobsen started things off with back-to-back base hits, Stokes doubled to bring Campbell home, and Tolbert singled with one out to get Jacobsen in.
Starter Logan Chapman had a rough outing, working just 1.1 innings and giving up three hits and six runs. He walked three batters and struck out two. Chapman took the loss and is now 3-3. TJ Shook, Hunter Lomas, Parker Coyne, and John Gilreath also pitched in this game.
South Carolina is set to play LSU in the loser’s bracket on Thursday, with first pitch scheduled for approximately 2 p.m.