Scobey’s Walk-Off Homer Caps Doubleheader Sweep of NKU

COLUMBIA – The University of South Carolina baseball team started its 2026 with a pair of wins over Northern Kentucky on Friday afternoon (Feb. 13) at Founders Park. The Gamecocks struck out 12 and used three hits from Talmadge LeCroy in winning the opener, 5-2. KJ Scobey then hit a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the ninth for a dramatic, 6-5, win in the nightcap.

GAME ONE

Riley Goodman had his first career start for the Gamecocks, pitching 3.2 scoreless innings while scattering four hits with five strikeouts. Josh Gunther earned the win for Carolina, striking out seven in 4.2 innings of work.

Patrick Evans launched the first Gamecock home run of the season to put Carolina on the board in the bottom of the fifth. A pitching change from the Norse and a walk from Logan Sutter set up a two-run homer for Dawson Harman to make it 3-0.

Back-to-back doubles from Ethan Lizama and Talmadge LeCroy gave the Gamecocks a 4-0 lead in the sixth. LeCroy added to the lead again in the seventh with an RBI single, bringing home Lizama, who led off the inning with a triple.

The Norse notched two runs in the ninth but Alex Valentin came in for the save to give Carolina the 5-2 win.

LeCroy led the team with three hits in game one while Harman and Lizama had two apiece to give Carolina nine in the first half of the doubleheader.

GAME TWO

Northern Kentucky struck early scoring two in the top of the second, but Carolina answered in the bottom of the frame on a sacrifice bunt from Gavin Braland that scored LeCroy to make it 2-1.

The Gamecocks took their first lead of the game in the seventh as Tyler Bak drove in Jake Randolph and Evans with a single to right field, giving Carolina a 3-2 lead.

The Norse responded in the top of the eight with a three-run inning to regain the lead 5-3.

Bak delivered again in the eighth, bringing home Aaron Jamison and Jack Reynolds on a two-out single to center field, evening the score 5-5.

In the bottom of the ninth, Scobey walked it off with a solo home run to grab the 6-5 series- clinching win.

Amp Phillips started on the mound and struck out seven batters, allowing two hits and two runs in 3.2 innings of work. Logan Prisco came in behind Phillips and pitched out of a jam giving up one hit and striking out three. Connor Chicoli, Zach Russell and Elijah Foster all pitched a scoreless inning of work with Foster earning the win.

POSTGAME NOTES

• There were a trio of three-hit days in the doubleheader. LeCroy had three in the first game, tying his career high. Bak and Scobey each had three hits in the nightcap. It’s the third time Scobey has had three hits in a game in his Carolina career.
• Carolina has won its last seven season openers and have won 28 straight series to open the season. The Gamecocks are 93-41 all-time in season openers.
• KJ Scobey has Carolina’s last two walk-off hits. He had a walk-off double against North Florida in 2025.
• Gunther established a career high with his seven punchouts. He had five for Wake Forest in a game against Louisville on March 21, 2024.

UP NEXT
Carolina and Northern Kentucky will conclude its three-game series on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 14) with a 2 p.m. first pitch at Founders Park. The game will be streamed on SEC Network Plus.