Gamecocks drop first game of Super Regional series against Arkansas

Jun 9, 2018 11:10 PM EDT

Mike Gillespie,

Courtesy: AP

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and the last six runs of the game in a 9-3 win over the Gamecocks in game one of the 2018 Fayetteville Super Regional Saturday night in front of 11,722 fans at Baum Stadium.

Carolina struck first in the top of the second inning. Justin Row led off the frame with a single. He scored on Hunter Taylor’s double in the gap in left. Arkansas tied the game up at one in the third as Eric Cole’s sacrifice fly brought in Jared Gates.

LT Tolbert’s seventh home run of the season gave Carolina a 2-1 lead in the fourth, but the Razorbacks put up a pair in the bottom of the frame on an RBI hit by pitch to Dominic Fletcher and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Carson Shaddy.

Madison Stokes re-tied the game, this time at three, in the top of the sixth with a solo home run to left, his 11th of the season. Arkansas scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth as Jax Biggers singled to center to score Shaddy. The Razorbacks opened up the game in the seventh, the big hit a Shaddy three-run double to left. Arkansas added insurance in the eighth with Luke Bonfield’s RBI single.

Tolbert had a pair of hits for the Gamecocks, who had six hits on the night. Eddy Demurias was tagged with the loss, allowing five runs on five hits with three strikeouts in 2.1 innings. Adam Hill started the game for Carolina. He struck out three, allowing two hits and three runs with five walks in four-plus innings of work.

South Carolina and Arkansas will play game two of the Fayetteville Super Regional on Sunday, June 10 at 3 p.m. EDT (2 p.m. CDT) at Baum Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN.