COLUMBIA, S.C. – Despite their success against Power Five schools this year, the North Carolina A&T baseball team fell to the University of South Carolina (USC) Gamecocks, 9-4, inside Founders Park on Wednesday in a non-conference bout.
In an established staff day for the Aggie (13-30) bullpen, freshman right-hander Jackson Hull (L, 0-2) got the start on the mound and threw the first inning.
The Gamecocks (23-20) got the scoring going in the home first inning on a solo home run from Josiah Sightler.
All told, USC plated three runs in the frame. After the homer, Braylen Wimmer had an RBI single, and then Michael Braswell's RBI base knock capped off the Gamecock damage in the first inning.
USC added to their advantage in the third with three more runs.
Wimmer had another RBI single through the left side. After stealing second and advancing to third on a wild pitch, Braswell brought Wimmer home on a sacrifice fly to center field. Two batters later, Colin Burgess doubled down the left field line to score Talmadge Lecroy from first base as the Gamecocks took a 6-0 lead.
Eli Jones (W, 1-0) got the nod on the bump for the Gamecocks and provided the best start of his career, going 3.2 innings and allowing three hits with three strikeouts for his first career win.
The A&T bats woke up in the sixth and seventh innings, scoring four runs between the two.
In the sixth, junior outfielder Cameran Brantley started things off with a double down the right field line. Brantley advanced to third on a wild pitch, eventually scoring when junior Bret Mersman safely reached a fielding error from Wimmer at second base.
The seventh got off to a similar start with sophomore TJ Ash slicing a one-out double to left center before advancing to third on another wild pitch.
Graduate infielder Alec Seaton followed with another double down the left field line to score Ash. Then, after a walk from redshirt freshman Sabin Roane, Brantley singled to right field, scoring Seaton in the process. A failed pickoff attempt allowed the Aggies to score the third run in the frame, cutting the deficit to three, 7-4.
The Gamecocks got two back in the home half. Wimmer scored on a passed ball before Burgess homered over the left field wall to make it 9-4.
Wimmer, Braswell and Burgess tallied a team-high two RBI, with Wimmer and Burgess adding three hits apiece to lead USC offensively.
Four Aggies registered doubles in the game, while Brantley recorded three of A&T's eight hits, including his RBI double.
