Olson's Walk-Off Home Run Lifts Baseball Past No. 3 N.C. State
Jacob Olson's third multi-home run games gives the Gamecocks their fourth walk-off win of the year.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The University of South Carolina baseball team walked off No. 3 North Carolina State on Jacob Olson’s second home run of the game and 11th of the season in a 10-8 victory Tuesday night (April 2) at BB&T Ballpark.
The game was tied at eight in the ninth as TJ Hopkins reached on a one-out single. Luke Berryhill replaced Hopkins on first after a fielder’s choice and then trotted around the bases on Olson’s no doubt home run to left.
Carolina gave up four runs in the first but answered with seven runs in the bottom of the frame. The Gamecocks had three home runs (Berryhill, Olson and Brady Allen) in the inning as N.C. State used three pitchers to record the three outs.
Carolina went up 8-5 in the fourth on a Hopkins’ RBI fielder’s choice. The Wolfpack chipped away at Carolina’s lead, scoring a run in the fifth and two in the eighth. Wesley Sweatt allowed the hit to tie the game, but buckled down to get a pair of strikeouts and a fly out to keep the game tied at eight.
The Gamecocks loaded the bases with two out in the bottom of the eighth. Noah Campbell hit one on the screws but the ball was caught by the N.C. State second baseman. The Wolfpack got a pair of runners on in the ninth, but a flyout to left set up the Gamecock heroics.
Chris Cullen had three hits to pace Carolina, while Olson and Allen had three hits apiece. Sweatt earned the win in relief, striking out two in two innings of relief.
TJ Shook and John Gilreath pitched three innings of relief apiece, combining for six strikeouts on the night.
GAMECHANGER
Carolina answered N.C. State’s four-run first inning with a seven-run frame off home runs from Luke Berryhill, Jacob Olson and Brady Allen.
KEY STAT
Carolina had 11 hits from eight different players on the night.
NOTABLE
- Carolina will play in Charlotte two weeks from today against North Carolina.
- Olson now has three multi-home run games this season.
- Chris Cullen had a season high three hits on the night.
- The win was Carolina’s fourth walk-off win of the season.
UP NEXT
Carolina visits Tuscaloosa, Ala., and the University of Alabama Thursday night (April 4) at 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. ET). The game will be televised on SEC Network.
