Baseball sweeps Saturday doubleheader vs. Princeton

COLUMBIA – The University of South Carolina baseball team swept a doubleheader against Princeton, winning the first game, 10-7, before taking the nightcap, 4-3, on Saturday afternoon (March 7) at Founders Park.

Princeton scored twice in the first in game one, but Talmadge LeCroy answered with a solo home run in the bottom of the frame. The two teams traded two-spots in the fourth, as Logan Sutter belted a two-run home run. The Tigers took the lead in the top of the fifth, but the Gamecocks made it 6-5 in the fifth on a two-run KJ Scobey home run and an RBI single from Tyler Bak.

Carolina put up four runs in the seventh, highlighted by a two-run triple from Dawson Harman. Princeton scored two in the eighth, but Alex Valentin picked up his fourth save of the season, pitching the final 2.1 with four strikeouts, three hits and two runs.

Sutter drove in three and joined Scobey, Ethan Lizama and Bak with two hits apiece. Cooper Parks earned the win, pitching 1.2 innings and allowing two hits and a run with a strikeout.

Princeton plated a run in each of the first two innings in game two. Carolina got on the scoreboard in the fifth as Will Craddock singled up the middle to score Bak and Harman. A solo home run in the sixth put Princeton up, 3-2, but LeCroy’s bases loaded walk in the seventh and Sutter’s game-winning home run in the eighth gave Carolina a doubleheader sweep.

Craddock had two hits to lead Carolina’s offense in game two. He also drove in two runs.

Brandon Stone picked up the win in relief, striking out five and allowing three hits with no runs and no walks in 3.1 innings of relief.

POSTGAME NOTES

• Carolina had 19 hits in the two games with 10 of them for extra bases.
• Sutter now leads the Gamecocks with four home runs on the season.
• Stone now has a 1.00 ERA with two wins and 20 strikeouts compared to just four walks on the year.
• Carolina has now won four games in a row.

UP NEXT

South Carolina and Princeton will end the three-game set Sunday afternoon (March 8) at 1:30 p.m. The game will be streamed on SEC Network Plus.