Founders Park: South Carolina needed all the offense they could muster Tuesday night in defeating Presbyterian 19-14. The Gamecocks scored nine runs in their first two at bats appeared on their way to a short night with the Blue Hose. But the men from Clinton were having none of that.
The Blue Hose scored five unanswered runs to pull to within 9-5. USC responded by scoring eight of the next nine runs for a 17-6 lead going to the top of the seventh meaning the Blue Hose were three outs away from being run-ruled. But, PC wanted to play this one all the way out.
The Blue Hose scored five runs in the seventh to extend the game. USC added two more runs in the eighth for a 19-11 lead, and PC scored three in the top of the ninth to close out the run-fest.
The Gamecocks totaled 15 hits, including six home runs, drew 10 walks and were hit by pitches twice. USC homered three times in the first…a solo shot by Parker Noland, a two-run blast by Ethan Petry and a three-run bomb by former PC player Dalton Reeves.
Petry hit another two-run homer in the second giving him 12 on the season. He also reached 100 RBIs for his career.
Reeves added another three-run dinger in the fourth and Kennedy Jones hit a two-run homer in the sixth.
Jones later took a pitch off his helmet and was down on the ground for a few minutes, but he eventually walked to first base. He was removed from the game and coach Mark Kingston said afterwards he appears to be fine.
The Gamecocks used nine pitchers with only Connor McCreery, Parker Marlatt and Chris Veach not being charged with any runs. USC came into the game with a team ERA of 2.96, third best in the SEC. But they allowed 14 earned runs on 10 hits while walking 13 and hitting four. Out of 226 pitches from Gamecock arms, only 130 went for strikes.
Ty Good, who pitched the fourth and fifth innings and allowed two hits and one run, picked up the win and is 3-0.
The Gamecocks improved to 20-5 and earned Kingston his 200th win as their head coach. They will open a three game series at Alabama Thursday night.