Sears ties Citadel record with 20 K's in 3-0 win over VMI

CHARLESTON -- Friday night belonged to The Citadel's starting pitcher and former Wilson Hall standout JP Sears who tied the program record with 20 strikeouts in a 3-0 shutout of VMI at Joe Riley Park.

One day less than a year after setting a career-high with 19 strikeouts at VMI, the junior left-hander one-upped himself with 20 strikeouts against the visiting Keydets in front of his home crowd.

Sears (4-1) tied the program record originally set in 1999 by Rodney Hancock against Furman. The strikeout total is also tied for the second most in a single game in Southern Conference history and the fourth time it has been accomplished.

Additionally, the 20 strikeouts are the most in a single game in NCAA Division I this year, bettering the previous mark of 17 which has been posted three times in 2017.

The outing was the first complete game of Sears' career, who had previously pitched eight innings twice. He threw nine shutout innings, allowing just two hits and two walks.

Sears now owns a 1.70 ERA with 63 strikeouts to just seven walks in 42 1/3 innings pitched. The junior has recorded five straight starts with at least seven innings and has double-digit strikeouts in three games.

The Bulldogs (8-14, 1-0 SoCon) needed little offense to back Sears in their SoCon opening victory, but received it in a big way with two solo home runs by Jonathan Sabo. Sabo finished 2-for-3 at the plate and now leads the team with six home runs and 18 RBI.

Clay Martin put the Bulldogs ahead in the first inning after drawing a leadoff hit-by-pitch. The junior outfielder later scored on an error by the VMI defense. Taylor Cothran and Barrett Charpia each added hits in the win.

Clemson 8

Boston College 2

KINGSTON, R.I. – Former Sumter High and Sumter P-15’s standout Charlie Barnes tied his career high with 11 strikeouts in No. 6 Clemson’s 8-2 victory over Boston College at Bill Beck Field on. 

The Tigers improved to 18-4 overall and 6-1 in the ACC. The Eagles fell to 7-12 overall and 1-6 in ACC play.

Barnes (2-2) earned the win by allowing just four hits, one run and one walk with 11 strikeouts in six innings pitched. Patrick Andrews pitched the final three innings to record his first save of the season. 

The Tigers scored three runs on four hits in the first inning. Seth Beer and Chris Williams hit back-to-back run-scoring doubles. Later in the inning, Jordan Greene laced a 2-out single to score Williams. Clemson added two runs in the second inning, highlighted by Andrew Cox’s run-scoring single, and then the Tigers scored a run in the top of the sixth inning before the Eagles got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth inning with a run. 

Clemson plated two more runs in the seventh inning.

Alabama 4

South Carolina 2

COLUMBIA – Fourth-ranked South Carolina broke ahead two runs in the bottom of the first, but homers from Cody Henry and Chandler Taylor in the third and fourth innings and an unearned run in the top of the ninth lifted Alabama to a 4-2 win on Friday at Founders Park. 

The Crimson Tide is now 12-10 overall and 1-3 in the SEC with the Gamecocks 15-6 and 3-1 in league play. The loss snaps South Carolina’s 8-game winning streak.

Junior right-hander Jake Walters (4-2) earned the win after giving up two runs on five hits with six walks and four strikeouts. Suchey struck out five and allowed just one hit in 3 2/3 innings of relief to pick up his second save of the season. Gamecock sophomore right-hander Adam Hill (1-3) suffered the. He allowed three runs on eight hits with one walk and nine strikeouts in six innings of work.

Four singles gave the Gamecocks an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. TJ Hopkins led off with a single up the middle, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch After Matt Williams walked to put runners on first and third, Alex Destino drove Hopkins in with a single to right. Chris Cullen added a RBI single as well.

Alabama cut the lead in half in the third on a solo homer by Henry, who launched the second pitch he saw from Hill over the left field wall.

Chandler Taylor gave Alabama a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth with a 2-out, 2-run homer to right field. The Crimson Tide added another run in the top of the ninth to go up by two.