The South Carolina baseball team swept Tennessee in a three-game Southeastern Conference series this past weekend. South Carolina maintained its No. 3 position after defeating Tennessee 2-1, boosting its record to 26-5.
Freshman Forrest Koumas pitched a career-high 7.1 innings, striking out seven batters and only allowing three hits to the Vols on Saturday. Koumas let up his first and only run in the first inning from Khayyan Norfork, who singled to left field. Andrew Toles preceded Norfolk and was granted a free base after being hit by a pitch. The Tennessee runners advanced to third and second bases after a sacrifice bunt, allowing Norfork to score off of Charley Thurber’s RBI ground out.
Scott Wingo had the first hit for the Gamecocks in the top of forth. The second baseman singled to center field but was putout in a double play. South Carolina remained scoreless until the sixth inning. Robert Beary set the precedent for the inning after singling to left field. Peter Mooney followed with a single to left-center and Wingo loaded the bases after beating out a bunt. The score became even once Beary reached home off of Jackie Bradley Jr’s RBI sacrifice fly to right field. Christian Walker broke a one-run lead for the Gamecocks by singling to right field, allowing Mooney to score.
South Carolina will go head-to-head with No. 1 Vanderbilt in a three-game series this upcoming weekend.
GT defeats UVA
While Virginia defeated Georgia Tech Friday and Saturday, the Yellow Jackets’ 10-8 win Sunday afternoon broke the Cavaliers’ 12-game winning streak. The loss caused Virginia to drop to No. 2 in the rankings.
Both teams’ defenses struggled to remain composed in the contest. Virginia used five different pitchers and accumulated six walks in the game. Senior Cody Winiarski (4-2) started for the Cavaliers but was replaced after three innings. Winiarski gave up five earned runs, six hits and three walks. Georgia Tech starter, Buck Farmer, faired better by allowing four earned runs, 10 hits and a walk, but earned the victory by striking out eight in seven innings.
The Yellow Jackets scored in six of the first seven innings. The only time the Cavaliers were able to lessen the gap was in the top of the fourth when Keith Werman’s RBI single platted David Coleman, making the score 4-3. Georgia put the game out of reach in the fifth thanks to a pair of RBIs from Kyle Wren and Jacob Esch, making it 8-4. Brandon Thomas topped off the score in the seventh for Tech with a solo home run to left field. Coleman scored a run in the ninth inning for UVA, but Reed Gragnani grounded into a double play to end the game.
The Jackets will host Georgia Tuesday night while Virginia will take on Georgetown at 5 p.m.
FSU loses series to UNC
North Carolina had a unique strategy to defeat Florida State and claim the series win on Sunday afternoon. The Tar Heels used one inning to accumulate seven hits and seven runs, earning them to a 7-6 win over the Seminoles in Tallahassee, Fla.
Florida State started strong, leading 2-0 after the second inning. However, in the top of the third, North Carolina turned the tables. Freshman Tom Zengel had a lead-off walk and was put in scoring position after Seth Baldwin hit a double down the right field line. Ben Bunting, Levi Michael, Tommy Coyle and Jacob Stallings brought North Carolina to a two-run lead after executing four-straight RBI singles. Colin Moran, the Atlantic Coast Conference’s RBI leader, added to his total and the Tar Heels’ score by plating Coyle and Stallings after a single to left. The order trickled back to Zengel, who grounded out to first base but platted Moran for a 7-2 lead.
The Seminoles came close to a comeback. In the fifth inning, third baseman Sherman Johnson hit an RBI double and shortstop Justin Gonzalez hit a RBI single, leaving Florida State to trail by three. Mike McGee gave the Seminoles hope after hitting a two-run homerun in the bottom of the sixth. However, no Florida State player would make it past second base for the remainder of the game.
North Carolina will face in-state foe East Carolina on Tuesday night before taking on conference rival NC State on Friday.
Trevor Bray can be reached at [email protected].
