USC baseball has been cruising through the early portion of the schedule, becoming the first SEC team to reach twenty wins this season. However, Tuesday’s road trip to Uptown Charlotte provided a speed bump as the Charlotte 49ers knocked off the Gamecocks 6-2 at Truist Field, home of the Triple-A Charlotte Knights. The loss snapped Carolina’s 11-game winning streak, while Charlotte recorded its second straight victory over South Carolina.
The 49ers (9-11) broke a scoreless tie and broke the game wide open with a five-run third inning. The big blow coming off the bat of Cam Fisher, who deposited his 11th home run of the season into the seats in right field. Fisher’s three-run shot punctuated the big frame for the 49ers and gave them all the cushion they would need against USC.
Meanwhile, Charlotte’s pitching staff shut down one of the nation’s best offenses, allowing single runs in the sixth and ninth while holding the Gamecocks to only seven hits. Collin Kramer picked up his first win of the season despite walking five USC batters. The Iowa left-hander also struck out eight and limited USC to just two hits in five innings on the bump. Eli Jerzembeck suffered the loss for Carolina, working two and two-thirds innings, giving up four earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
The Gamecocks (20-2) return home this weekend to host #22-Missouri in a three-game SEC series beginning Friday at 7pm. Charlotte entertains Dallas Baptist in a three-game series starting Friday at 6pm.
