South Carolina coach Paul Mainieri expressed frustration with his team’s offense after a 2-8 loss to No. 12 Clemson, sweeping the Gamecocks for the second straight time and third of the last four years.
The Gamecocks were swept despite having chances, as they stranded 11 batters on Friday but couldn’t capitalize, while on Saturday, they began the game with the bases loaded and no outs without scoring a run. On Sunday, USC put two men on base in the second and third innings but both times struck out to end the frame.
Mainieri acknowledged that his team’s struggles at the plate are not new, as they started the season 9-0 with tight wins and late-game rallies. However, their batting average against Clemson has taken a hit, with just .160 (15 for 94) overall and .121 (4 for 33) with runners in scoring position.
The team’s limited offense was largely courtesy of two players: Ethan Petry and Nathan Hall. The duo combined to have seven hits and three walks this weekend, while the rest of the lineup had eight hits and six walks. Mainieri stressed that his team needs more than a few players to perform well, saying “you’ve got to get more than a third of your lineup performing.”
The coach made an effort to mix up the lineup on Sunday, but it didn’t lead to the desired result. Mainieri emphasized that his team is trying their best, but there are players struggling and some having tough starts despite strong preseasons.
Source: https://www.thestate.com/sports/college/university-of-south-carolina/usc-baseball/article301286844.html