South Carolina vs. North Florida game recap: Gamecocks beat Ospreys 6-5

After a rough weekend against Northwestern, South Carolina bounced back with a narrow 6-5 victory over North Florida on Tuesday night. That’s closer than it probably should have been, but a win’s a win, so we’ll take it.

The Gamecocks were first to score, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning after Noah Myers tripled to start things off and came home on an RBI groundout by Jeff Heinrich. That lead didn’t last long, though, as the Ospreys went up 4-1 in the next inning. Raff Libunao knocked a leadoff single and Abraham Sequera and Tanner Clark walked to load the bases, then Trey Spratling-Williams singled to tie the game. With one out and the bases still loaded, Cade Reich to put UNF on top 2-1, then two more runs scored on a fielder’s choice by Grant Grodi and an error. USC got two runs back in the bottom of the inning, when Andrew Eyster singled and George Callil went yard with one out to make the score 4-3.

The game was tied up again in the third inning, when Bryant Bowen hit a solo shot with one out to make it 4-4. The Ospreys regained the lead in the fifth inning, going up 5-4 when Sequera brought Tanner May home with an RBI single. That lead was short-lived, as the Gamecocks tied things again in the bottom of the inning. Myers started things off with a base hit, Bowen singled too with one out, and Wes Clarke came through with an RBI single to make it a 5-5 game. South Carolina had a chance to take the lead after that, but instead stranded the bases loaded. Not ideal, imo.

Fortunately, the Gamecocks managed to muster one more run, scoring in the sixth inning when Braylen Wimmer led off with a single and came home on a two-out RBI single by Heinrich.

USC starter Andrew Peters had a rough outing, pitching one inning and allowing one hit but three runs. He walked two batters and struck out three. John Gilreath, Parker Coyne, Julian Bosnic, and TJ Shook went the rest of the way for the Gamecocks, and Bosnic got the win, making him 1-0, while Shook earned the save, his first of the season. North Florida reliever Darin Kilfoyl took the loss and is now 0-1.

With the win, South Carolina improves to 6-2, while the Ospreys are 2-5. The Gamecocks will be back in action on Friday, when they open up the rivalry series against Clemson. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Founders Park.