USC evened their season mark at 2-2 and delivered coach Mark Kingston his 400th career win Tuesday night with a 4-2 win over North Florida at Founders Park. The Gamecocks broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the sixth on a leadoff homer by Colin Burgess. They added an insurance run in the seventh on a one-out homer by Josiah Sightler.
USC pitchers took a no hitter into the sixth inning. Eli Jones started and pitched the first 2.2 innings striking out three. Patrick Coyne followed and allowed a walk over 1.1 innings. Michael Esposito pitched the fifth and struck out two while walking one.
Cam Tringali (1-0), who earned the win, came on in the sixth and yielded two hits, including a two-run double that tied the game. Brett Thomas worked the seventh allowing one hit, and Matthew Becker gave up a pair of hits and struck out three over the final two innings to earn his second save.
Sightler had three of the Gamecocks’ eight hits and also made the defensive play of the game in the seventh. The Ospreys had runners on second and third with one out when Sightler fielded a ground ball down the first base line. He tagged the batter for one out and then caught the runner off the bag at second for the inning ending double play.
Sightler was at first base because Brandt Belk was home with a stomach virus. Also, regular third baseman Kevin Madden was used as the DH due to an arm issue and was replaced in the field by Talmadge LeCroy.
The Gamecocks continue their seven-game homestand Thursday night when they open a three-game series with 25th ranked Ole Miss.
