South Carolina has a flair for the dramatic.
After trailing most of the back half of the game, the Gamecocks scored four runs in the ninth inning to walk off Missouri 9-8 and take the series opener.
The Gamecocks, trailing by three runs entering the ninth, loaded the bases with two away with Caleb Denny to the plate.
He proceeded to make it a one-run game, singling home two before Jonathan French tied things with an opposite-field single to right field.
Denny, who delivered the big hit, would come around to score after a fielder’s choice from Michael Braswell and an errant throw to third base.
It was the epitome of a wild game, one the Gamecocks are used to winning. South Carolina used a game-winning double from Braswell last week to beat Georgia en route to a sweep.
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The Gamecocks (21-2, 4-0 SEC) have now won four straight SEC games, and did it despite a great pitching performance top to bottom.
Starter Will Sanders didn’t make it out of the fourth inning. The righty gave up just two hits–both homers–but walking six to five strikeouts in 3.1 innings. Only 37 of his 78 pitches were strikes.
After motoring through two scoreless, Sanders gave up a two-run shot to Mann before walking the bases loaded with one away. He would rally, striking the next two batters out to escape the jam.
He didn’t get as lucky in the fourth. Sanders walked one and hit another to set up a game-tying three-run shot from Mann, his last batter of the game.
Despite the pitching faltering, it was the South Carolina offense that bogged down in the middle innings. The Gamecocks stranded seven over the course of the first five innings, picking up just two hits in their first 12 at-bats with runners on and starting 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
James Hicks settled the game down in the middle innings in relief but gave up the go-ahead run after being a strike away from getting out of a jam. He’d allow a softly-hit RBI single to left field in the sixth but the Gamecocks couldn’t respond offensively.
Without McGillis, South Carolina struggled to do much offensively against the Missouri bullpen.
Missouri hit McGillis with a pitch in the forearm in the fourth, leaving the game after the inning ended.
Maltrud came in after starter Chandler Murphy left with an injury and dealt over 3.1 scoreless innings.
The right-hander sliced his way through the lineup, striking out eight and allowing just three base runners in the process.
But the arms did enough to keep the offense in it, setting up the ninth-inning heroics.
Up next: South Carolina tries to take the series Saturday afternoon with first pitch at 4 p.m. The game will be on SEC Network Plus with Noah Hall getting the start.
