Tippett Tanks: Freshman's 3-Run Home Run Lifts Baseball Past Auburn
COLUMBIA – Will Tippett’s three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh lifted the University of South Carolina baseball team to an 8-7 win over Auburn Sunday afternoon (April 30) at Founders Park, taking the final game of the three-game set vs. the Tigers.
The bottom of the seventh started with singles from Caleb Denny and Jonathan French. After a pitching change and a flyout, Tippett took the 1-2 pitch from Tanner Bauman over the wall in left for his first career home run as a Gamecock. Tippett ended the top of the seventh with a nice play on the shift with the bases loaded, keeping the score at 6-5.
Auburn scored five runs in the first two innings to take a 5-2 lead. Carolina chipped away with two runs in the fourth on a Michael Braswell single up the middle and one in the fifth on a Carson Hornung sacrifice fly, tying the game at five. Auburn took a 6-5 lead on Bryson Ware’s leadoff home run in the sixth. Bobby Peirce had a home run in the ninth and Nick Proctor came in with a runner on first and no one out. Jonathan French picked off pinch runner Justin Kirby at first. After a single, Proctor got a strikeout and fielder’s choice to end the game.
Denny had four hits in the win while Cole Messina was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Tippett drove in three and Braswell had two RBI.
Chris Veach earned the win in relief, allowing a run on three hits and a strikeout in 1.2 innings. Matthew Becker started for the Gamecocks. He struck out eight and allowed five hits and five runs in five innings. Eli Jones had a pair of strikeouts in 1.1 innings and Proctor earned his first save with a strikeout in an inning of work.
POSTGAME NOTES
- Carolina picked up its 500th career SEC win in the Sunday victory. The Gamecocks have a 500-396-1 all-time record in conference play.
- Denny was 7-for-9 with two doubles and two RBI in the Auburn series.
- Messina had three extra-base hits and five RBI in the Auburn series.
- Carolina combined for 12 strikeouts on the mound in the win.
UP NEXT
Carolina will visit Winthrop Ballpark in Rock Hill, S.C., on Wednesday, May 3 when the Gamecock face Winthrop with a 6 p.m. first pitch. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
