South Carolina at Ole Miss game 2 recap: Gamecocks lose to Rebels 7-3, drop series

South Carolina was outdone on offense for the second straight game against Ole Miss, falling in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader to lose another SEC series.

The Gamecocks were first on the board in this one, taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a Colin Burgess one-out solo shot. Unfortunately the Rebels answered in the bottom of the inning, going up 2-1 on a home run by Justin Bench. Ole Miss doubled its run total in the fifth inning, making it a 4-1 game on a two-run homer from Hayden Dunhurst.

The Rebels broke things open even more in the next inning, making the score 7-1 courtesy of a Calvin Harris sac fly and a two-run shot from Jason Gonzalez. USC scored the final two runs of the game in the seventh inning, when Burgess and Braylen Wimmer both singled with one out, then both scored on a two-out double by George Callil.

Carolina starter Brannon Jordan pitched five innings and gave up four hits and four runs, walked four batters, and struck four out. He took the loss and is now 4-3. Andrew Peters went the rest of the way for the Cocks. Ole Miss starter Doug Nikhazy got the win and is now 5-2. Burgess led USC at the plate with three hits, while Callil tallied two RBI.

The Gamecocks are now 26-14 overall and 11-9 in conference play, while the Rebels are 30-12 overall and 12-8 in the SEC. South Carolina will try to avoid being swept in the second game of the doubleheader, with first pitch set for 6 p.m. in Oxford.