A two-run home run from Cole Messina in the top of the ninth inning lifted 10th-seeded South Carolina to a 6-5 victory over second-seeded Arkansas in the Razorbacks’ SEC Baseball Tournament opener at the Hoover Met Thursday.
Messina’s home run to straightaway centerfield was his second blast of the day — as well as the first home run allowed by SEC Freshman of the Year Gabe Gaeckle all year — and gave the Gamecocks a 6-4 lead.
Arkansas (43-13 overall) threatened in the bottom of the ninth with three consecutive singles from Peyton Stovall, Hudson White and Ben McLaughlin with one away off South Carolina (35-21) reliever Garrett Gainey. McLaughlin’s single made it a one-run game.
Wehiwa Aloy got ahead 2-0 in the count before grounding out for the second out. Jared Sprague-Lott then flied to left-center to end the game and preserve the Gamecocks’ comeback.
Arkansas will play third-seeded Kentucky in a single-elimination game Thursday in Hoover at 9:30 a.m. CDT. The game can be seen on SEC Network. The Wildcats were clubbed 11-0 by LSU in eight innings Thursday.
Ben Bybee started for Arkansas and quickly found himself in trouble. After allowing back-to-back walks to Blake Jackson and Messina with two outs, Parker Noland smoked a single to left-center to give South Carolina an early 1-0 lead.
The Diamond Hogs tied it in the second inning off Gamecocks starter Eli Jones when McLaughlin singled and later scored on an RBI single from Sprague-Lott.
South Carolina went right back to work in the third off Bybee when Ethan Petry singled following a walk to Austin Brinling. Messina followed with a single up the middle to put the Gamecocks back on top at 2-1.
That was all for Bybee, who parted after 2 1/3 innings. Christian Foutch took over and escaped a bases-loaded jam to end the inning.
Arkansas caught a break in the fourth on a would-be double play ball sent back up the middle. Jones snagged a comebacker but airmailed a throw into centerfield to give the Razorbacks runners at the corners. After Sprague-Lott flied out, South Carolina coach Mark Kingston went to his bullpen and summoned right-hander Ty Good.
Dave Van Horn countered with his own move and removed Nolan Souza for pinch-hitter Ryder Helfrick. The move paid off for Van Horn when Helfrick sent a well-hit sacrifice fly to left to score McLaughlin and tie the game.
Good struck out Ross Lovich with the bases loaded to end the threat and get the Gamecocks out of further trouble. It would be one…
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