Baseball Evens Up Florida Series Behind Power and Strong Pitching

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of South Carolina baseball team hit four home runs while Cam Tringali allowed just one earned run in six-plus innings of work as the Gamecocks evened up the series at Florida with a 6-3 win Friday night (April 12) at McKethan Stadium.

The Gamecocks plated a run in the top of the second as Jacob Olson led off with a double to left. He moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Chris Cullen’s RBI infield single. Carolina then showed its power in the third. George Callil connected on a solo home run to left. Then after TJ Hopkins singled to right, Luke Berryhill belted a two-run home run to left for a 4-0 lead.

The home run derby continued in the fourth as Quinntin Perez led off the frame with a home run to right, his first in a Gamecock uniform. Cullen then hit a solo shot to left, a lined scorcher that gave Carolina a 6-0 lead.

Carolina kept it at 6-0 with a great defensive play in the sixth. Nelson Maldonado hit a ball to the wall in the left field gap. It went off TJ Hopkins and starting rolling to his left. Brady Allen picked up the ball, got it in to Noah Campbell who threw a perfect strike to the plate, thwarting Maldonado’s inside-the-park home run chance.

Florida did score a run in the seventh and two more in the eighth to tighten the game. Brett Kerry got out of trouble in both innings with pop outs, but in the ninth, the Gators got two more runners on. Kerry ended the game with a big strikeout to Kendrick Calilao, the tying man at the dish, to end the game.

Tringali allowed just four hits and struck out three while not walking a batter in his six innings of work. Kerry had a pair of strikeouts on his birthday, allowing six hits in 2.1 innings of work.

At the plate, Campbell, Berryhill and Cullen had two hits apiece, with the latter two driving in two runs.

GAMECHANGER

Tringali shut down the Florida offense to the tune of four hits and one earned run in six innings of work, picking up his second win of the season.

KEY STAT

Carolina had four home runs in the game, upping its season total to 56 on the season.

NOTABLE

• Perez’s home run marks the 10th Gamecock to hit a home run this season.
• Berryhill hit his eighth home run of the year and added to his team-leading total in doubles with 13.
• Carolina picks up its second straight road win with Cam Tringali on the mound.
• Cullen now has four career home runs against Florida after his solo shot on Friday.

UP NEXT

The two teams wrap up the series Saturday afternoon (April 13) at 3:30 p.m. The game will be streamed on SEC Network +.