Big First Frame Lifts Baseball Past Belmont

COLUMBIA  – The University of South Carolina baseball team opened its three-game series with Belmont by scoring four runs in the first frame on its way to an 8-1 win Friday afternoon (Feb. 23) at Founders Park.

Parker Noland got things going with a two-run home run to right in the first. Dylan Brewer also had two RBI with a first-inning single. Carolina and Belmont then sat through a 2:24 rain delay, but Gavin Casas came back and drove in two with a double to center to make it 6-0 Gamecocks.

Casas and Will Tippett added RBI in the fifth and seventh frames, respectively.

Eli Jones struck out three and did not allow a hit in three innings before the rain delay. Tyler Pitzer picked up the win, allowing four hits and a run with five strikeouts in three innings of action. Tyler Dean had a pair of strikeouts in an inning of work and Joey Wittig did not allow a hit in the final two innings.

Brewer went 3-for-3 with two RBI. Casas had two hits and three RBI.

POSTGAME NOTES

• Talmadge LeCroy scored three more runs and now has 15 through six games.
• Brewer is now 10-for-19 at the plate with eight RBI after six games.
• Jones has allowed just one run in nine innings of work in 2024.
• Noland now has four career hits vs. Belmont after his first inning home run.

UP NEXT
Carolina and Belmont pick up the three-game series on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 24) at 2 p.m. at Founders Park. The game will be streamed on SEC Network Plus.