Razorbacks fall in Game 2 at South Carolina

South Carolina scored four runs in the sixth inning to take the lead, and the No. 11 Gamecocks defeated top-ranked Arkansas 6-2 Friday in the first game of a doubleheader at Founders Park.

The teams are scheduled to play their series finale Friday at 6 p.m. The series is tied at a game apiece.

"Now we're in a situation where it comes down to one game to win a series," Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said on the Razorback Sports Network. "I told our guys we've got to learn from this one and move on, and get our mind right for Game 3."

South Carolina (25-11, 11-6 SEC) overcame a slow start at the plate. Arkansas starter Peyton Pallette held the Gamecocks to just one hit through five innings.

But Pallette and Arkansas relief pitchers Caden Monke and Zebulon Vermillion combined to allow three hits and three walks to erase the Razorbacks’ 2-0 lead in the sixth inning. After Andrew Eyster singled for the Gamecocks’ first run, Josiah Sightler’s bases-loaded walk against Vermillion tied the game at 2-2.

Colin Burgess added a sacrifice fly to give South Carolina a 3-2 lead and George Callil singled to cap the four-run inning. Burgess and Michael Robinson added RBI hits in the eighth.

Arkansas relievers Monke, Vermillion and Zack Morris combined to allow 4 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks in 2 2/3 innings.

Vermillion, who pitched for the first time in 13 days due to arm soreness, allowed 3 runs on 5 hits in 2 innings and suffered his first loss.

Pallette took a no-decision in 5 1/3 innings. The right hander allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and 3 walks, and struck out 5.

"I thought he pitched really well," Van Horn said. "He had some really close pitches that did not go his way, and maybe the other pitcher did as well....There were some pitches that we felt like could have changed that game just a little bit — maybe not the outcome, but I think he would have been able to give us a few more innings. Whenever we walked them, that seemed like when they put together an inning. Overall I thought he pitched extremely well."

Arkansas (31-7, 12-5) led for much of the game. Cullen Smith hit a solo home run in the second inning to give the Razorbacks a 1-0 lead, and Brady Slavens’ sacrifice fly in the fifth extended the lead to 2-0.

But Arkansas failed to come up with the big hit, including in the fifth when Robert Moore struck out to strand the bases loaded in the first at-bat for South Carolina reliever Andrew Peters. The Razorbacks left nine runners on base and were 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position.

"It was rough," Van Horn said. "As a coach you can feel if you leave these runners on that it might make it difficult. Give South Carolina credit. They hung in there and their bullpen did an outstanding job."

Peters pitched three scoreless innings to earn the win. Brett Kerry had a four-out save.

South Carolina starter Brannon Jordan allowed 1 earned run, 1 unearned run, 3 hits and 4 walks in 4 2/3 innings.

South Carolina 6 Arkansas 2 FINAL

Braydon Webb comes in to hit for Opitz and he delivers with a double that slices into foul territory.

Jalen Battles strikes out swinging on three pitches for the first out.

Gregory goes down swinging as well on the curveball.

Goodheart flies out to right to end the game.

South Carolina 6 Arkansas 2 End 8th

Vermillion gets the first batter of the inning to fly out to right. Then he gives up a double and a single that scores a run.

Zack Morris is now coming in to pitch.

Vermillion - 2.0 IP, 5H, 2R, 2 ER, 1BB, 2K, 45 pitches

Morris comes in and gets Callil to strikeout swinging.

A single by Robinson gives the Gamecocks another run. Robinson went down and in and somehow got the bat head on the ball and lined it into left. Still, nobody has impressed out of the Razorback bullpen today.

Morris gives up a line drive single to left. Robinson advances to second.

Wimmer then tries to drop down a bunt, but he's thrown out by Morris to end the inning.

South Carolina 4 Arkansas 2 Middle 8th

Two flyouts start the inning. Robert Moore works a walk and South Carolina goes to the bullpen.

Peters - 3.0IP, 0H, 0R, 1BB, 3K, 43 pitches

Brett Kerry comes in to pitch.

Kerry gets Smith looking on a full count fastball. That was very close. I thought it was a ball, but the home plate umpire thought otherwise and his opinion is what matters.

South Carolina 4 Arkansas 2 End 7th

A single and a flyout start off the 7th for the Gamecocks.

Vermillion bounces back with a strikeout.

Allen stole second and then advances to third as the throw gets into the outfield.

Vermillion gets the next batter to strikeout to end the inning.

South Carolina 4 Arkansas 2 Middle 7th

Arkansas goes in order in the 7th. A groundout, a strikeout and a flyout end the Arkansas half of the inning.

South Carolina 4 Arkansas 2 End 6th

Cayden Wallace with a WEB GEM down the right field line. He had a full extension dive on the foul line for the first out.

Pallette walks the next batter to give the Gamecocks a runner. Then Clarke singles through the right side and the runner advances to third. Van Horn goes to the bullpen and gets Caden Monke. Pallette's 1-2 pitch that was hit for the single was a breaking ball that caught too much of the zone.

Pallette - 5.1IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 3BB, 3K, 84 pitches

Monke comes into the game and throws four straight balls and that will be it for him.

Zebulon Vermillion comes in.

Monke - 0.0IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 0K, 4 pitches. Bases are loaded.

A single through the left side gives Carolina a run.

Vermillion walks the next batter, the third walk of the inning, and South Carolina ties the game.

Vermillion gets the next batter to pop up to right and Arkansas had the runner out at home that was tagging, but a bad throw from cut off man Brady Slavens gives Carolina the lead. Slavens had plenty of time to turn and make a throw, but he just overthrew Opitz at home.

A single from Heinrich plates another South Carolina run.

The next batter grounds out to Smith at third to end the inning.

Arkansas 2 South Carolina 0 Middle 6th

Smith grounds out to second to start. The play was reviewed and it was close, but Smith is called out for the first out of the inning.

Opitz grounds out to second and Battles strikes out swinging to end the inning.

Arkansas 2 South Carolina 0 End 5th

For the second inning in a row the Gamecocks go down in order. Pallette gets a flyout to left, a bunt that he fields and throws the batter out and then a groundout to Battles ends the inning.

Arkansas 2 South Carolina 0 Middle 5th

Arkansas has two runners aboard to start the 5th without hitting the ball out of the infield. Battles hit the ball deep in the whole to shortstop who fielded it, but couldn't get enough on the throw to get Battles.

Gregory then hit a ground ball to the second baseman, but Battles cut in front of the fielder - without interfering - and the second baseman couldn't field it cleanly.

Goodheart works a full count but is called out on strikes on a fastball on the outside corner.

Cayden Wallace works a walk to load the bases.

Slavens flies out to right, but it's deep enough to score Battles and allow Goodheart to advance to third.

Franklin walks to load the bases again and that will be the end of the line for Jordan.

Andrew Peters comes into the game.

Jordan - 4.2IP, 3H, 2R, 1ER, 4BB, 4K, 95 pitches. All three runners would be unearned I believe because of the error by the second baseman.

Moore chases a high fastball to strikeout and end the inning.

Arkansas 1 South Carolina 0 End 4th

Pallette battles with the leadoff batter, but gets Mendham swinging for the first out.

Pallette gets his second strikeout of the inning. This time he got the batter looking.

Pallette strikes out the side as he gets Sightler swinging to end the inning.

Arkansas 1 South Carolina 0 Middle 4th

Arkansas goes in order again. Moore had to be retired on a sliding play by the second baseman. Then Smith flied out and Opitz grounded out to end the inning.

Arkansas 1 South Carolina 0 End 3rd

Pallette gets a slow roller to the third base side of the mound. He lets Smith field and fire for the first out.

Heinrich flies out to right and the Gamecocks are back to the top of the order.

Allen just misses with a 3-2 fastball to allow his second base runner of the day.

Pallette gives up his first hit of the game, a double down the right field line. The runner on first moves to third.

Carolina's three-hole hitter up now with two runners in scoring position. Matt Hobbs goes out to visit with Pallette.

Pallette induces a long fly ball to left that Gregory catches on the warning track to end the inning. Pallette threw a fastball and the batter Clarke was waiting on it.

Arkansas 1 South Carolina 0 Middle 3rd

Wallace and Slavens strike out on 1-2 counts and then Franklin hits a big hop to the pitcher who fields and tosses to first to end the inning.

Arkansas 1 South Carolina 0 End 2nd

Pallette is dialed in so far today. He gets Carolina to go down in order on two flyouts and a strikeout.

His fastball has been sitting at 94 mph today and has induced some swing and misses.

Arkansas 1 South Carolina 0 Middle 2nd

Robert Moore hits a line drive right at the second baseman for the first out.

Smith homers to right to put the Hogs ahead.

Opitz singles to left and then Battles reaches on a fielder's choice. Gregory walks and the Hogs have two aboard again for Matt Goodheart.

Goodheart hits a line drive to second, but just like Moore's his hit is caught to end the inning.

Smith's Home run.

Arkansas 0 South Carolina 0 End 1st

Pallete gets some help from Gregory for the first out, and walks a batter, but that's it for South Carolina. Here is the play from Gregory.

Arkansas 0 South Carolina 0 Middle 1st

Stop me if you've heard this before, but Gregory is hit by a pitch. Goodheart follows with a walk and there are two on with nobody out for the Hogs.

Wallace flied out, Slavens struck out and Franklin grounded out to end the inning. Lots of breaking balls from Jordan to end the inning.

Lineups

Arkansas

LF Zack Gregory

DH Matt Goodheart

RF Cayden Wallace

1B Brady Slavens

CF Christian Franklin

2B Robert Moore

3B Cullen Smith

C Casey Opitz

SS Jalen Battles

P Peyton Pallette

South Carolina

CF Brady Allen

2B Braylen Wimmer

DH Wes Clarke

1B David Mendham

RF Andrew Eyster

LF Josiah Sightler

C Colin Burgess

SS George Callil

3B Jeff Heinrich

P Brannon Jordan

Pregame

Arkansas is playing a nine-inning doubleheader for the third consecutive weekend. The Razorbacks split a doubleheader at Ole Miss two weeks ago and swept a doubleheader at home against Texas A&M last week.

South Carolina is playing a doubleheader for the second consecutive week. The Gamecocks won two seven-inning games at LSU last Saturday.

The Gamecocks entered the series with the SEC’s second-best ERA (3.33), third-lowest opposing batting average (.213) and third-most strikeouts (419).

South Carolina infielder/catcher Wes Clarke has hit 15 home runs this season, which is tied for the NCAA lead. The Gamecocks have hit 52 home runs, which are sixth most in the NCAA. Arkansas’ 72 home runs are the most in the NCAA this year. The Razorbacks have hit 45 home runs in their last 20 games, including two home runs hit by Robert Moore during Thursday’s series opener. Arkansas also leads the NCAA in runs scored (312) and walks (229).