COLUMBUS, GEORGIA – The University of South Carolina baseball team continued its three-game series against Columbus State on Saturday afternoon. The Cougars used a two-run first inning to jump out to an early lead before closing out a 5–2 win over the Sand Sharks.
Jon Davis led the team with three hits in the game, while Terry Dean and Noah Campbell each drove in a run for USCB.
Matt Navarro and Ian Barnes each pitched four innings, striking out two batters apiece.
Columbus State used a walk and a single to start its rally before an RBI single pushed across the game's first run. A second RBI single put the Cougars in front 2–0 to end the opening inning.
The Sand Sharks looked to answer back and had two hits in the second inning from Tyler Gundelfinger and Davis, but Columbus State escaped without allowing any damage, keeping it 2–0.
It stayed 2–0 into the bottom of the third inning when a leadoff single came around to score on an RBI double, making it a 3–0 game.
USCB responded with two baserunners on a walk and a single, but the game remained 3–0 into the top of the seventh inning when the Sand Sharks offense struck.
The inning started with a Davis single to right field before Kris Levensteins followed with a single, setting up runners on first and second with nobody out. Terry Dean drove in the first run with an RBI single, scoring Davis to cut the deficit to 3–1. Campbell followed with an RBI in the next at-bat, scoring Levensteins to make it a 3–2 game.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, however, the Cougars answered back in their next at-bat. After back-to-back outs, Columbus State recorded three straight hits, including a two-RBI double to right field, extending the lead to 5–2.
Columbus State closed out the 5–2 victory over the Sand Sharks on Saturday afternoon. Despite a Jon Davis single in the ninth inning, the Cougars retired the next three batters to even the series setting up the final game on Sunday.
The series finale against Columbus State is set for Sunday afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in the rubber match.
