Baseball Falls to Auburn in Sunday Matinee

COLUMBIA – A six-run second inning from Auburn made the difference on Sunday afternoon (March 31) as the Tigers won game three against the University of South Carolina baseball team, 7-5, at Founders Park.

South Carolina got out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning after Carson Skipper allowed a one-out walk and back-to-back singles off the bats of Luke Berryhill and Jacob Olson to load the bases for the Gamecocks. Chris Cullen followed up with an RBI walk to score Hopkins from third, giving the Gamecocks the 1-0 lead. Skipper limited the damage, retiring the next two batters on a strikeout and pop out.

Auburn answered as it responded with six runs of its own in the top of the second inning. Will Holland hit a two-run homer to center field after Conor Davis was hit by a pitch. Bliss and Scheffler followed that by drawing back-to-back walks as South Carolina made a pitching change. Cam Tringali came in and got a flyout for the second out but a single and three-run home run by Edouard Julien made it 6-1 Tigers.

The Gamecocks got a couple runs back in the bottom of the second inning. George Callil and Nick Neville hit back-to-back doubles to lead off the inning, cutting Auburn’s lead to 6-2. South Carolina followed that with two hard groundballs to the second baseman in order to advance Neville from second base to home to make it 6-3.

Auburn added another run in the top of the third inning off a double steal, but the Gamecocks did not stop fighting. South Carolina responded with two solo home runs from Ian Jenkins and George Callil in the bottom of the eighth inning, shrinking the Auburn lead to 7-5. Carolina threatened again in the bottom of the ninth with back to back singles by Campbell and Hopkins to lead off the inning. Jacob Olson just missed a three-run home run to left but it was caught at the track. A flyout to right ended the game.

Richard Fitts got the win for the Tigers, allowing just three hits in five innings of work. For Carolina, Shook suffered the loss, allowing two hits, two walks and four earned runs through 1.1 innings of work. Cody Greenhill recorded his sixth save of the season. Berryhill and Callil each had three hits for the Gamecocks. Callil also scored two runs.

GAMECHANGER

Auburn scored six runs in the second on three hits, a pair of walks and a hit by pitch.

KEY STAT

The Gamecocks’ pitching staff put zeroes up on the board in the last six innings with four 1-2-3 frames.

NOTABLE

• Nick Neville made the start at third base and doubled in his first at-bat.
• George Callil was 6-for-11 with two doubles and a home run in the series.
• Carolina left nine men on base in Sunday’s game.
• Seven different Gamecocks had hits in the game.

UP NEXT

Carolina heads to Charlotte, N.C., and BB&T Ballpark for a Tuesday night (April 2) game against North Carolina State. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.