HOOVER, Alabama — Game Two of the 2024 SEC Baseball Tournament became a battle of the bats as 10-seed South Carolina defeated 7-seed Alabama, 10-5, at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex.
The last time the Gamecocks beat the Tide in the SEC Baseball Tournament was in 2009 in 11 innings, 9-5. This is also South Carolina's 12th time scoring at least 10 runs in an SEC Tournament game, and first time since its win in 2017 vs. Missouri.
The battle began in the bottom of the first inning when William Hamiter hit a ground ball to right-center field, bringing in Ian Petrutz to mark the Crimson Tide’s first run on the board. The tide was turning in their favor through the second inning when Bryce Eblin was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring Mac Guscette to home plate. The walk-in run was followed by a fly out to center field by Gage Miller to usher in TJ McCants for Alabama’s third run of the game.
The momentum shifted to the Gamecocks soon after, in the top of the third, with a home run derby. Gavin Casas led off with a homer to left center field, followed by Petry with a homer to left center field as well. Reeves set the tone that South Carolina was hot, hitting the 21st grand slam in tournament history, to go up 6-2 in the top of the third.
South Carolina's three home runs in the third matched the SEC Tournament record for a single inning.
Alabama battled in the bottom of the fourth, scoring two runs from Justin Lebron’s ground out to bring in Miller and Hamiter’s double to right field to push Petrutz to home plate.
South Carolina took control from there as Chris Veach dominated the mound, throwing five shutout innings with six stikeouts to end the Tide's hopes of a comeback.
The Gamecocks' hots bats did not cool down as Cole Messina slugged a homer to center field in the top of the fifth. He continued in the top of the sixth, hitting a double to right center field to bring in Blake Jackson and Ethan Petry.
Jackson brought in the last run of the game from Casas in the top of the 8th to finish the battle off.
Veach got the win for South Carolina and Aidan Moza recieved the loss for Alabama at the mound.
South Carolina lives to fight another day as they will face 2-seed Arkansas at 1 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
Alabama is eliminated from the tournament and now awaits NCAA Tournament selections.