Carlos Cortes uncorked a Brady Singer 94-mph fastball high towards the foul pole in right field. Cortes celebrated with a bat flip as the first base umpire singled a home run, but Kevin O’Sullivan was already off of his perch on the top step of the dugout to contest the call.
Cortes’ home run carried over the foul pole in right field and the two-run blast stood after an instant replay check. It was the first home run Singer had given up in his career (108.1 innings) and led the way to a 4-2 South Carolina win Friday night, evening the series.
“They called it fair so it’s fair,” O’Sullivan said after the game. “They went and reviewed it and I don’t know what the review said but they said it was a fair ball so it was a home run.”
Singer would bounce back from the home run. The sophomore didn’t have his best stuff Friday night but continued to battle. Singer gave up three hits through the first two innings but struck out three and limited the damage to just the home run.
The Gators narrowed the deficit in their half of the second inning. JJ Schwarz singled up the middle with one out and moved from first two third when Christian Hicks line a ball through the right side on a 2-1 hit-and-run. Freshman Keenan Bell, the owner of the only RBI from Thursday, plated Schwarz with a single of his own.
Singer continued to scatter hits, battling himself and his command more so than the Gamecock bats. A leadoff single in the sixth and a sacrifice bunt gave South Carolina a runner in scoring position but it was just one of those nights for Singer. Singer buried a 2-2 slider down and in to Jacob Olson but the right fielder was able to get a barrel on it, lacing a double down the line to extend the lead to 3-1.
“It’s one of those nights,” Singer said of the RBI double. “As a pitcher you’re going to have those nights. I thought I battled. I could have done much better.”
Singer surrendered a singled to Madison Stokes to give the Gamecocks runners on the corners and one out. At 101 pitches, Singer was pulled after just 5.1 innings pitched, matching his shortest outing of the season (March 4 vs. Columbia) and the three earned runs are the most he’d given up all season.
Nick Horvath replaced Singer to face the left-handed Matt Williams. Horvath induced a weak dribbler back to the mound and wisely checked Olson at third. Olson was too far off the bag and Horvath threw to Christian Hicks at third. A quick rundown ensued with Hicks tagging Olson out ad Stokes advanced to third. Rank Rubio replaced Horvath to face the right-handed Taylor Hunter and got Hunter to ground out to short.
Rubio gave up a run in the seventh, but Florida would still have multiple chances to come back in this game.
Keenan Bell knocked South Carolina Starter Wil Crowe out of the game with a leadoff single in the eighth inning. The Gamecocks turned to closer Tyler Johnson but Johnson quickly gave up a double to Mark Kolozsvary. Deacon Liput drew a walk to load the bases with no outs and Florida was sending up their two, three and four batters to the plate.
Then Dalton Guthrie popped up weakly to shortstop.
Austin Langworthy whiffed on a 98 MPH fastball high in the zone for strike three, setting the stage for Ryan Larson, the leading hitter on the team.
Larson worked the count into his favor, 2-1 and squared up a fastball. The ball went soaring into a black night sky and the crowd but TJ Hopkins settled under it in left center.
The Gators turned to Tyler Dyson to throw in the ninth inning and the freshman set down the side in order with two strikeouts.
Nelson Maldonado walked to start the ninth and he scurried over to third when JJ Schwarz lined a 95 MPH fastball off of Tyler Johnson left calf. Johnson was called for a balk and the lead was suddenly just 4-2. Then Hicks popped up, Bell struck out and Mark Kolozsvary grounded out to end any chance of a comeback.
“It’s just one of those nights where the wind was not blowing out. So we’ve just got to do a better job in those situations and not try to do too much,” said O’Sullivan. “Guys are just swinging too hard, and a couple hits here or there, even a couple fly balls and we cut the score down to 4-3 and next thing you know the balk ends up a tied ballgame. Even a double play is a run, and the next thing you know the balk is 4-3 and who knows what happens.”