Garnet Earns a Split with Game Two Win
Oct. 27, 2017
COLUMBIA — The University of South Carolina baseball team wrapped up its fall practice with game two of the Garnet and Black World Series. The Garnet team came away with a 9-5 win, splitting the two-game series with the Black team.
The Garnet struck early with a six-run first inning. Junior Danny Blair walked and went to third on a wild pitch. He scored on junior LT Tolbert’s single to right. Tolbert moved up 90 feet on a passed ball and went to third on classmate TJ Hopkins’ infield single. Junior Jacob Olson also reached on an infield single, loading the bases. Senior Hunter Taylor drove in a pair of runs with a single to right and senior Matt Williams made it 4-0 with an RBI fielder’s choice. Freshman McLendon Sears brought in Garnet’s fifth run with a single to right, scoring Williams. The Garnet team was given an extra run as the team batted around, a run that proved to be crucial in the aggregate.
Freshman Noah Campbell reached on a three-base error to open the bottom of the first. He scored on sophomore Carlos Cortes’ sacrifice fly to left. Black chipped away with a run in the third as Campbell singled, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Cortes’ single to left.
Garnet immediately came back with three runs in the fourth, sending eight men to the plate. Freshman Mason Streater and junior Chase DeMars both walked to open the inning. Garnet loaded the bases as Sears reached on a bunt single. Blair was hit by a pitch to force in a run. Sacrifice flies from Tolbert and Olson put Garnet up 9-2.
Black battled back with two runs in the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Cullen and Cortes trotting home on a wild pitch. In the sixth, freshman Kyle Jacobsen doubled down the line in left to score sophomore Christian Flint, but a pair of groundouts ended the game. The tie-break was run differential, but both teams scored 12 runs as the series ends in a tie.
Sears had a pair of hits for the Garnet team, while Tolbert and Taylor drove in two runs apiece. For Team Black, Cortes was a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI while Campbell scored two runs.
Freshman TJ Shook pitched 2.2 innings in the start for the Garnet. He allowed one earned run and three hits with a strikeout. Tolbert had a pair of strikeouts in an inning of relief. Freshman Hunter Lomas had a pair of punchouts for the Black team in two innings of work.
South Carolina will now concentrate on strength and skill work before returning to practice in January. Opening day in college baseball is Feb. 16. The Gamecocks will announce their 2018 schedule in the near future.
