South Carolina vs. Georgia game 1 recap: Gamecocks fall to Bulldogs 3-2

This South Carolina baseball team remains ... frustrating, as they spent half of Friday night’s series opener against Georgia clinging to a one-run lead, only to lose it 3-2.

The Bulldogs got on the board first, going up 1-0 in the second inning on a single by Fernando Gonzalez. That score held until the fifth, when the Gamecocks tied the game then took the lead. Josiah Sightler started things off with a single, then scored when Colin Burgess doubled with one out to make it a 1-1 game. Burgess advanced on a double by Matt Hogan and later scored when Braylen Wimmer hit into a fielder’s choice, making the score 2-1. They could have had a chance for even more, but the third out was made at home on the fielder’s choice, which wasn’t great.

Neither team scored again until the ninth, when things fell apart. UGA tied the game at 2-2 on a base hit by Cole Tate, then regained the lead when Kevin Madden tried to turn a low-probability double play and it didn’t work. USC had no answer in the bottom of the inning, and that was that.

Cocks starter Noah Hall had another strong outing, and it’s a bummer he didn’t get more run support. Hall worked seven innings and allowed seven hits but just one run. He walked two batters and struck out 10, a career high. Cade Austin also pitched in this game and took the loss, making him 1-1. Bulldogs reliever Will Pearson got the win and is 2-1, while Jack Gowen earned the save, his fourth. Brandt Belk led Carolina at the plate with two hits, while Burgess tallied the only RBI. Connor Tate and Josh McAllister paced Georgia with two hits each, while Cole Tate, Corey Collins, and Gonzalez recorded one RBI apiece.

The Gamecocks are now 14-15 overall and 3-7 in the SEC, while the Bulldogs are 23-7 overall and 7-3 in conference play. South Carolina will try to even up the series on Saturday, with first pitch set for 4 p.m.