FOUNDERS PARK: A South Carolina baseball team hoping to surge in the final three months of the regular season took another step forward Tuesday night with a ten-inning 3-2 win over North Florida at Ray Tanner Field at Founders Park. The Gamecocks stacked this victory on top of taking two out of three from Ole Miss over the weekend. They have won four of their last five games.
Jordan Carrion led off the bottom of the 10th with a double down the right field line. Beau Hollins was intentionally walked, and that brought fellow freshman KJ Scobey to the plate. On a 3-2 pitch, Scobey ripped a ground-rule double to center field, and Carrion trotted home with the winning run and the Gamecocks’ first extra-inning walk-off win of the season.
The game started out as a pitching duel with Jackson Soucie starting for USC and going five innings without allowing a run on three hits. Likewise, the Gamecocks managed only one hit over the first four innings against Osprey starter Tommy Groom and reliever Kai Etwaru.
The Gamecocks got on the board in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out, two-run homer to left center by Nathan Hall, his seventh of the season. North Florida scored an unearned run in the top of the sixth off of Ashton Crowther. Shortstop Will Tippett fielded a two-out infield single, and his throw allowed Mitchell Collins to reach second. He later scored on a single by Connor Moore.
The Ospreys tied the game in the eighth inning off of Crowther with a leadoff double, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly. In the bottom of the inning the Gamecocks loaded the bases with two away but Gavin Breland struck out to end the inning.
Caleb Jones entered in the top of the ninth to pitch for USC and he set the Ospreys down in order. The Gamecocks got a runner to second with two outs in the bottom of the ninth but Evan Stone flied to center to end the inning.
Brendan Sweeney pitched the 10th for USC and allowed a one out walk before retiring the side and setting the stage for the Gamecocks heroics in the bottom of the inning.
USC pitchers finished with a six-hitter with eight strikeouts and one walk. Only one of the two runs allowed was earned. The Gamecocks finished with nine hits, two by Scobey, and they left 13 on base. They were 1-12 with runners in scoring position.
The Gamecocks are now 24-18 and will open a three game series at Kentucky Friday night.
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