Baseball Falls to The Citadel, 4-3, on Tuesday Night
March 20, 2018
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The University of South Carolina baseball team fell to The Citadel, 4-3, on Tuesday night (March 20) at Founders Park.
The Citadel started the scoring off in the top of the first inning. Jeffrey Brown started it off with a single to center field and eventually scored from third on an RBI groundout by Taylor Cothran. South Carolina immediately answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the first. Noah Campbell and TJ Hopkins both walked to start it off and Campbell eventually scored off a fielder’s choice and throwing error from The Citadel shortstop.
Carolina added another run in the bottom of the second inning as Carlos Cortes doubled to left field. He eventually came around to score off a sacrifice fly by Campbell, giving the Gamecocks the early 2-1 lead.
The Citadel answered in the fifth inning with three hits and two runs. J.D. Davis walked to start off the inning and then hits by Ben Peden and Bryce Leasure gave The Citadel the 3-2 lead.
Cortes tied the game in the bottom of the seventh with a home run in the South Carolina bullpen. It was his fourth home run of the season.
Madison Stokes led off the bottom of the eighth with a triple, but was stranded at third after a groundout, strikeout and fly out.
Peden led off the ninth with a solo home run for the Bulldogs. The Gamecocks got a runner on in the ninth but did no further damage.
Logan Chapman allowed just one hit in four innings of work, but walked four and allowed a pair of runs. Parker Coyne took the loss in relief, allowing one run on a hit in two innings.
GAMECHANGER
Peden hit his first home run of the season in the top of the ninth, breaking a 3-all tie.
KEY STAT
Cortes went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and the solo home run in the seventh.
NOTABLE
- The game was previously scheduled to be played in Charleston, but scheduled strong storms on Tuesday night changed the venue to Founders Park.
- Carolina is now 1-4 in one-run games.
- Carlos Cortes hit his 16th career home run in Tuesday’s game.
UP NEXT
South Carolina visits Athens, Ga., and the University of Georgia for a three-game conference series starting Friday night (March 23) at 7 p.m. at Foley Field.
