Baseball Completes Sweep of Dayton with Eighth-Inning Outburst

COLUMBIA – The University of South Carolina baseball team broke a 1-all tie with four runs in the eighth inning to complete a three-game sweep of Dayton in a 5-1 win Sunday afternoon (Feb. 21) at Founders Park.
 
Colin Burgess opened the eighth with a walk. He moved to second on Jeff Heinrich’s sacrifice bunt. George Callil then brought in the game-winning run with a double down the line in right field. After a strikeout, Noah Myers and Wes Clarke both walked, setting up David Mendham’s bases-clearing double to left to give the Gamecocks insurance heading to the ninth.
 
Carolina led 1-0 after three on Mendham’s sacrifice fly but Dayton tied the game in the fourth on an RBI single from Jared Howell.
 
Julian Bosnic started the game for the Gamecocks and set a school record with eight consecutive strikeouts between the first and third innings. Bosnic went 3.1 innings, striking out nine and walking four while not allowing a hit with an earned run.

Daniel Lloyd came in and pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless relief, striking out three. Travis Luensmann followed with a perfect seventh and Brett Kerry pitched the final two innings to earn the win. Kerry struck out four and allowed two hits. Cole Pletka made the start for Dayton, striking out five in six innings, allowing five hits, an unearned run and walking three.
 
Mendham was 2-for-4 with four RBI while Burgess and Callil added two hits apiece.
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• Bosnic’s record of eight consecutive punchouts breaks the former record of seven, set by Adam Hill vs. Charleston Southern in 2018 and Alex Farotto vs. Mississippi State in 2007.
• The Gamecocks walked seven times and had nine hits in the game. They also left 12 men on base.
• Carolina sweeps the opening series of the season for the second straight year. Carolina did the trick vs. Holy Cross in 2020.
• The Gamecocks hit .347 in the series with a .693 slugging percentage.
• Wes Clarke had a double in the win. That was his seventh hit of the weekend, fifth of the extra-base variety.
• Brett Kerry picked up his seventh career win for the Gamecocks, lowering his career ERA to 2.75.

UP NEXT
Carolina hosts Winthrop Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 23) at Founders Park. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.