Seven Gamecock players scored home runs as the South Carolina baseball team defeated the Liberty Flames 13-7 to tie the series after Friday's 6-5 loss.
“Good bounce back win for us,” head coach Mark Kingston said. “Happy to see us come swing the bats, happy to see six pitchers, five of whom were pitching in this park for the first time at this level do pretty well.”
To begin the game, the Gamecocks' defense held Liberty to three up, three down with the help of freshman left-handed pitcher Dylan Harley, who recorded the first two strikeouts of his collegiate career.
The Gamecocks would then take advantage of pitching miscues as Flames sophomore left-handed pitcher Mason Meyer walked a total of five batters to allow South Carolina to score five runs off of only two hits in the first.
Harley would continue to pitch lights out in the second as the Flames would go three up, three down again, including two more strikeouts for the freshman.
The Gamecocks continued to score in the second as a triple by senior outfielder TJ Hopkins brought in freshman outfielder Brady Allen and junior designated hitter Quinntin Perez hit his second RBI of the day to make the score 7-0 in favor of South Carolina.
However, Liberty would take advantage of walks by Harley as he allowed three batters to walk in the third and a hit to center by Flames sophomore infielder Will Wagner that shrunk the South Carolina lead to 7-5 at the end of the third.
“[Harley] was lights out,” Kingston said. “It was 94, 95 as you saw and then in that third inning he just kind of lost it, and that’s something we obviously need to figure out.”
The Gamecocks would respond after Liberty put one more on the board in the fourth inning as Gamecock junior infielder Jacob Olson hit a two-run homer to give the Gamecocks a 9-6 lead.
South Carolina also pitched well in the game. Sophomore right-handed pitcher TJ Shook struck out three straight batters in the top of the fifth. On defense, the Gamecocks forced a 6-4-3 double play to end the top of the sixth as the Flames were threatening with runners on first and second.
Olson would then hit his second two-run homer of the day in the bottom of the sixth to extend the Gamecocks' lead to 11-7.
South Carolina grabbed two more runs in the bottom of the eighth as redshirt sophomore catcher Luke Berryhill and sophomore outfielder Andrew Eyster scored to make the score 13-7, which ended up being Saturday's final score.
South Carolina will look to clinch the series against Liberty on Sunday. First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m. at Founders Park.