Box Score COLUMBIA, S.C. – The University of Dayton baseball team fell 12-5 on Saturday at South Carolina at Founders Park in Columbia.
 
The Flyers scored five runs on three hits, one of which was the 100^th career hit from senior Riley Tirotta, a three-run home run over the left field wall. The Dayton third baseman finished the day 1-5 with the big fly. Senior Mariano Ricciardi also found some success at the plate, going 1-3 with a double, walk, and hit by pitch.
 
Senior Mitchell Garrity was hit by a pitch for the 45^th time in his Dayton career and now trails Cole Tyrell's career record of 48 hit by pitches from 2007-2010.
 
On the Mound
Graduate student Ben Olson started the game on the mound for the Flyers, going two innings and giving up four runs on three hits, walking two. The lefty had one strikeout in the contest and was relieved by junior Dylan Keller after facing two batters in the third. Keller allowed one hit and no earned runs in his one inning of work, allowing one of Olson's baserunners to come home.
 
Graduate student Tyler Jones pitched the fourth, allowing two runs, one earned run, on two hits. Senior Andrew Zapka entered in the fifth inning, lasting one and a third innings striking out two without allowing a hit.
 
Senior Jonathan Brus relieved Zapka with one out in the sixth. Brus allowed just a home run in his inning of work and gave way to senior Jared Howell who lasted just two batters, walking both before head coach Jayson King took him out the game.
 
Junior Bryce Hellgeth struck out one in his inning on the mound, but also allowed two runs on two hits and a walk. The eighth and final Dayton pitcher of the afternoon was freshman Eli Majick who made his Dayton debut in the loss. The lefty finished the last two-thirds of an inning allowing two runs on two hits, one of which was a South Carolina home run.
Scoring Plays
Top 1: (1-0 Flyers)
Ricciardi opened the game with his first career extra-base hit in a Dayton uniform, a double to center. Two batters later junior Marcos Pujols drove him in with a deep ball to left center field that was dropped by the South Carolina center fielder to give the Flyers their first lead of the season.
 
Bottom 1: (1-1 Tie)
South Carolina's Wes Clarke sent the first pitch he saw from Olson over the left field wall for a home run.
 
Bottom 2: (3-1 Gamecocks)
South Carolina led off the inning with a single before Olson retired the next two hitters. Braylen Wimmer of the Gamecocks followed with a home run to left field to give USC the lead.
 
Bottom 3: (4-1 Gamecocks)
Two walks allowed Keller to enter the game for Dayton. With runners on first and second the Gamecocks drove in another run with a single to left field.
 
Bottom 4: (6-1 Gamecocks)
Jones entered in bottom of the fourth for the first time in 2021 and gave up a home run to left field to lead off the inning. A single, error, and sacrifice bunt moved a runner to third base and a sacrifice fly gave South Carolina a 6-1 lead.
 
Top 5: (6-5 Gamecocks)
Senior Michael Cleary led off the inning with a walk and Ricciardi followed that up getting hit by a pitch that stood after it was reviewed. Tirotta then sent a 1-1 pitch over the left field wall to cut the lead to two. Two batters later graduate student Alex Brickman walked and junior Ben Blackwell hit a two-out single through the left side. Garrity was hit by a pitch to load the bases and with junior Jay Curtis at the plate. A passed ball brought home Brickman and cut the lead to one.
 
Bottom 7: (8-5 Gamecocks)
A leadoff home run in the inning made it a 7-5 deficit for the Flyers. Two one-out walks by Howell followed by a single off of Hellgeth gave way to a sacrifice fly and gave South Carolina an 8-5 lead.
 
Bottom 8: (12-5 Gamecocks)
A one-out double and a walk pushed Hellgeth out of the game and Majick entered the game for the first time in his Dayton career. He gave up a single and a three-run home run to give the game its final score of 12-5.
 
Up Next:
The Flyers will return for the series finale against South Carolina tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.