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Baseball vs. Auburn Live Thread (Game Three)

Alan Cole

Alan Cole

Beat Reporter
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Jul 10, 2022
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Back at Fouders Park for the series finale, starting at 3 p.m. with live coverage on ESPN2 today. Gamecocks looking to salvage one game out of a disappointing weekend with Matthew Becker on the mound, opposed by Auburn's Will Cannon. Little bit of a lieup shakeup for Mark Kingston as he tries to get this offense going with limited bench options, and his new look order looks like this:

Dylan Brewer - CF
Michael Braswell - SS
Ethan Petry - RF
Cole Messina - 3B
Gavin Casas - 1B
Caleb Denny - LF
Jonathan French - C
Carson Horung - DH
Will Tippett - 2B

Matthew Becker - P

Would almost guarantee Eli Jones is the first pitcher out of the bullpen today, and you'll probably see Chris Veach, too.
 
Wind is blowing very steadily out towards right field right now; flags are practically ironed out that way. Not an overly warm day, but the ball should carry a decent bit all the same.
 
14 MPH winds at first pitch, we're told in the press box.

Becker starts the day with an inauspacious four-pitch walk to Stanfield.
 
Lead-off walk, stolen base.....and Michael Braswell looks like he hurt his wrist trying to make that tag. Trainer out now.

He's staying in the game, and boy does South Carolina need him to with the current infield crunch. Becker follows that up with a balk that pushes Stanfield to third. Another bad start for South Carolina here.
 
Ike Irish taps one back to the mound, Becker tries to flip it home, can't come up with it and that makes it 1-0 Auburn. The balk really hurt him there.

Scored a fielder's choice, although it could've easily been an error. Either way, 1-0 Tigers. Auburn has scored in the first inning of all three games this weekend, and South Carolina has allowed a first inning run on six out of seven games this homestand.
 
Becker strikes out the next two batters and was one strike away from limiting the damage to just the one run, but then served up a 2-2 cookie that Bryson Ware hammered out into the trees in left-center. That's two-run shot, and Auburn leads 3-0.

South Carolina will be playing catchup yet again today. Good news is that wind is still howling, so there might be some homers to be had the other way.
 
And now Cole Foster deposits a 3-2 pitch to almost the exact same spot. It's 4-0, just like it was yesterday, and once again three of the runs with two outs.

Nine first inning runs for Auburn this weekend, eight of them with two outs.
 
Strikeout ends the inning, but South Carolina has another mountain to climb, 4-0 after a half.
 
Brewer leads off the game with a walk, then Cannon's pick-off throw is wayward and allows him to scoot up 90 feet. Quickly a runner in scoring position.
 
Braswell taps out, but it's enough to move Brewer over to third base, then a 1-2 wild pitch to Petry brings him him.

4-1.
 
Messina singles, Casas with a fantastic plate appearance to work an 0-2 cout into a walk on 10 pitches and South Carolina has two on with two down now. If nothing else, forcing Cannon into a lot of pitches (he's at 30).
 
Nice piece of hitting by Caleb Denny, lining a base hit into the gap. His fourth hit of the weekend scores Messina and makes it 4-2. Action in the Auburn bullpen.
 
French is late on a fastball, and the side is retired. Gamecocks get half of those runs back, but still trail 4-2 after an inning.

Becker threw 34 pitches, Cannon threw 37 in that first inning and on a related note this might be a 3.5-4 hour game.

Becker looking for a shutdown inning now.
 
Solo homer from Auburn catcher Nate LaRue makes it 5-2.

Another two-strike homer, too. All three today have been with two strikes.

No shutdown inning to be had here.
 
Just the one for Auburn in the top of the 2nd. Going to the bottom half now in a 5-2 game. Cannon going back out there looking for his own shutdown inning.
 
And a 1-2-3 inning for Cannon with two strikeouts, exactly what he needed. Auburn will take a 5-2 lead to the third.
 
Becker throws up his first 0 of the afternoon, allowing just a two-out single. 2-3-4 hitters in South Carolina's lineup coming up down three.
 
Cole Messina stays hot with a 3-2 bullet into left for a single and Gavin Casas walks, and that's gonna be it for Will Cannon. Knew everyone would be available for Auburn today, and it will have to cover 19 bullpen outs today.

Two on, two out and Parker Carlson coming in.
 
Denny gets rung up on a close 3-2 check swing, Mark Kingston is furious and immedietely gets ejected. Still out there arguing over a minute later, getting his money's worth for sure. Frustrating weekend, and that frustration has completely boiled over now.

5-2 after three at Founders Park and Monte Lee will be your acting head coach for the rest of this one.
 
That was Kingston's second ejection of the season (March 31st at Mississippi State) which I believe might come with a one-game suspension, although I am not 100 percent sure of the rule there and will hope to clarify post-game.

Either way, Becker fires his first 1-2-3 inning of the day. 5-2, mid 4th.
 


Here's more info on the Kingston situation, and we have also had it clarified that it is a one-game suspension, so he will not be eligible to coach on Wednesday in Rock Hill.
 
Back-to-back walks to the 8 and 9 hitters brings the tying run to the plate with the top of the order lurking.

Not to completely state the obvious, but it really feels like the Gamecocks have to score at least one here.
 
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Brewer pokes a 3-2 pitch the other way into left for a base hit. Bases loaded, one out for Braswell.
 
Braswell falls behind 0-2 in the count, works it to 2-2 then ropes a base hit up the middle off the back of the mound. Two runs score, and this is a 5-4 ballgame.
 
Petry down on strikes (a rare 0-for-3 for him today), then Messina pops out into foul territory on a 3-2 pitch. Ball was near the on deck circle, Gavin Casas did not make much of an effort to get out of the way, and the ball was dropped. Tigers are furious, and I can't blame them.

Break for South Carolina as Messina gets a swing on the house.
 
Aaaaaand Messina can't take advantage, popping out between the lines this time. 5-4 Auburn after four and a really big missed opportunity missed for the Gamecocks there.

Becker will go through the 2-3-4 in Auburn's lineup for a third time now which feels dangerous, especially considering Eli Jones has been warming up for awhile and is definitely hot by now.
 
Great inning for Becker, 1-2-3 with two strikeouts. He's retired seven in a row and eight out of 13 since the fifth Auburn run scored. Settled in very nicely today after that brutal opening.

5-4 Auburn, mid 5th. Casas, Denny, French due up.
 
Casas walks (his third of the day), Denny singles (his second of the day) and the Gamecocks have two on with nobody out in the 5th.
 
French pops out to first on a 2-1 pitch, then a huuuuuuge break as Allsup was trying to re-set the pitch clock by throwing to second and airmailed it into second. Both runners move up, eliminating the double play and moving the tying run within 90 feet.
 
And Carson Hornung takes advantage of it. He lines out to right. Casas tags up and scores on a ball he otherwise would not have been able to and this is a 5-5 game after five innings.

Eli Jones is the new pitcher.

Final line for Becker: 5 IP, 5 R, 5 H, 1 BB, 8 Ks, 90 pitches (54 strikes)
 
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