Brady Allen hit a three run homer in the fifth to wipe out a 2-0 Tennessee lead, and Brett Kerry and Julian Bosnic protected the one run lead the rest of the way, and the Gamecocks scored a dramatic 3-2 win over the Vols in front of a season high crowd of over 5000 fans at Founders Park Friday night. The Gamecocks improved to 33-19 overall and 16-13 in the SEC. The rubber game of the series will be Saturday at Noon.
The Vols scored single runs in the third and fourth innings for a 2-0 lead against Kerry. In the Gamecocks’ fifth, a pair of singles and a sacrifice bunt brought Allen to the plate with runners at second and third and one out. The Vols brought in reliever Camden Sewell to replace starter Will Heflin. Allen got what he was looking for on a 1-1 pitch and drilled his 12th homer of the season down the left field line.
From there, the game belonged to Kerry and Bosnic. Kerry stranded a runner in the sixth, then faced a big problem in the seventh. With one out, Kerry gave up back to back singles, the second one being a bloop that allowed the runners to take second and third. But Kerry got out of the jam with a pair of pop ups to the second baseman. His night was over after 106 pitches, 72 for strikes. He allowed two runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts and no walks.
Bosnic entered in the top of the eighth and quickly retired the side in order. He did give up a two-out single in the ninth, but ended the game with a pop out to second.
Kerry earned the win to improve to 5-1, and Bosnic earned his fourth save.
