Six-Run First Fuels Baseball to Series Win over Belmont

COLUMBIA  – Cole Messina and Kennedy Jones combined for three home runs and the University of South Carolina pitching staff struck out 10 in eight inning in a 12-1, run-rule win over Belmont Sunday afternoon (Feb. 25) at Founders Park. Carolina clinched the series win with its fourth run-rule win of the season.

Jones led off the Carolina first with a home run to right, part of a six-run first inning that included another Dylan Brewer RBI single. The Gamecocks sent 11 men to the plate in that inning, which included four walks.

Jones drove in his third run of the day with a single in the third. Then in the fourth, Messina belted his first home run of the game, a two-run shot to left. Messina ended the game in the eighth with another two-run blast to left for the run-rule winner.

Roman Kimball earned the start for the Gamecocks. He struck out four and allowed two hits and a run with two walks in four innings. Matthew Becker picked up his second win of the season, striking out five in three innings while Garrett Gainey pitched a 1-2-3 eighth frame.

Messina drove in four and scored three runs, while Jones was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Ethan Petry had a 3-for-4 day with three runs scored and Brewer had two hits and two runs scored.

POSTGAME NOTES

• Brewer ended the Belmont series hitting .778 (7-for-9) with a double, a triple and four RBI.
• Messina leads the team now with three home runs and is tied with Will Tippett and Brewer with a team-best 10 RBI.
• Jones now has 26 career home runs between Carolina and UNC Greensboro.
• Kimball has nine strikeouts in six innings of work this season.

UP NEXT
Carolina continues its 10-game homestand on Tuesday, Feb. 27 as the Gamecocks host Gardner-Webb. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. and the game will be streamed on SEC Network Plus.