South Carolina drops pitcher’s duel
Barry Allen • 6/5/2021 in Baseball
The Gamecocks fail to get the bats going, and face elimination on Sunday.
There was no home run derby at Founders Park.
Old Dominion entered the game with the most home runs in the nation. South Carolina designated hitter Wes Clarke leads the nation with 23 home runs.
Instead of a home run derby, top-seed Old Dominion edged No. 2 seed South Carolina 2-1 in a classic pitcher’s duel in Columbia.
The Monarchs, playing on the road as the top seed, advanced to the first Regional final in school history with a win over the Gamecocks.
Ryne Moore out-dueled Thomas Farr in front of an energetic crowd on Saturday night.
Moore (9-1) held the Gamecocks to one run on three hits through seven innings for the win. He added eight strikeouts and walked one, but he hit five batters.
Farr (3-7) was equally impressive despite the loss. He limited ODU to two runs and five hits in 7 2/3 innings. He struck out four and walked three.
One of the walks came to Tommy Bell with the bases loaded in the eighth inning ax the Monarchs took a 2-1 lead.
ODU right hander Aaron Holiday retired six if the seven batters he faced, with four strikeouts, to earn the save.
South Carolina reliever Will Sanders retired all four batters he faced with three strikeouts.
Matt Courtney hit a solo home run in the second to give ODU a 1-0 lead. It the Monarchs 102nd homer of the season.
South Carolina tied the game on Joe Satterfield’s sac fly in the fourth.
The Gamecocks will face Virginia in an elimination game on Sunday. The winner of that game will have to beat ODU twice.