Baseball Opens Kentucky Series with an 11-3 Win

COLUMBIA – The University of South Carolina baseball team hit three home runs, collected 13 hits and used solid pitching to earn an 11-3 Friday night (May 13) win over Kentucky at Founders Park.
 
Michael Braswell went 4-for-4 with three RBI while Josiah Sightler was 3-for-5 with three runs scored, three RBI and his 12^th home run of the year. Andrew Eyster and Jalen Vasquez each homered and had two hits.
 
Brett Thomas earned his first career win, striking out five in four innings of work, allowing three hits and an earned run. Cade Austin pitched three scoreless frames and John Gilreath had three strikeouts in two innings of work.
 
Carolina scored a run in the first on Eyster’s RBI single, then got five runs in the second, capped by a three-run home run from Sightler. Vasquez led off the frame with his first career home run. Carolina scored a run in the fourth on Eyster’s blast, then added three runs of insurance in the sixth on Braswell’s three-run double.

POSTGAME NOTES

• Sightler extended his hitting streak to 11 games after tonight’s three hits.
• Braswell set a career best in RBI and tied his high for hits in a game. He also had four at Clemson on March 6.
• Thomas set a career high with the five strikeouts.
• Twelve different Gamecocks now have home runs this season after Vasquez’s first of the year.

UP NEXT
Carolina and Kentucky continue the three-game series Saturday afternoon (May 14) at noon at Founders Park. The game will be televised on SEC Network and the Gamecocks will honor its seniors before the contest.