Baseball Falls to Tennessee in SEC Tournament to Wrap Up 2026 Season
HOOVER – The University of South Carolina baseball team saw its 2026 season come to a close in an 11-6 loss to Tennessee in the opening round of the SEC Tournament Tuesday night (May 19) at the Hoover Met. Tennessee scored six runs in the third inning on its way to a victory.
Tennessee plated a pair in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly and a Levi Clark RBI single. The Gamecocks put up a three-spot in the third on Patrick Evans’ two-run triple and a squeeze bunt from Talmadge LeCroy that put Carolina up 3-2. The Volunteers answered with six runs in the bottom of the third, capped by a two-run single from Garrett Wright.
The Volunteers scored an unearned run in the fourth but Carolina struck back in the seventh with three runs. Evans belted a solo home run to left field and Will Craddock hit a two-run shot, scoring Jake Randolph and making it 9-6. Tennessee ended the scoring with a pair of solo home runs in the bottom of the eighth.
Evans was 3-for-5 with a triple, a home run and three RBI for the Gamecock offense. Jake Randolph added a pair of hits. Brandon Stone took the loss, allowing five earned runs with four strikeouts in 2.2 innings.
POSTGAME NOTES
- Craddock ended his freshman campaign with the team lead in home runs with 10.
- Zach Russell did not allow an earned run in 2.1 innings of relief.
- The Gamecocks are now 1-4 all-time against Tennessee in the SEC Tournament.
