The University of South Carolina Lancaster baseball team hosted Clark State College on Friday, Feb. 13, and Saturday, Feb. 14, in a thrilling four-game series. Game one ended in a Lancer victory with a score of 7-4. The Lancers fell 4-1 early in the game but came back with a two-run home run in the fifth inning by first baseman Keenan Parker. The Lancers ended game one with eight hits and Clark State seven. Pitcher Nathan Kirouac pitched two scoreless innings, a standout for Lancaster. Other key players for USCL were shortstop Kaidan Baron who went two-for-two at the plate with a double, RBI, and run scored. Zack West, the second baseman, also had a memorable game. West went two-for-three and scored three runs for the Lancers.

In game two, the Lancers came out on top again with a closer score of 5-3 against the Eagles. Lancaster fell behind Clark State in the third inning but rallied together in the fourth for the victory. USCL ended game two with six hits and Clark State had five. Some top players of game two were West and Baron, along with center fielder Brady Yarabinetz. West went one-for-three at the plate, with a huge three-run home run in the fourth inning. Baron went one-for-three with an RBI and a run scored. Yarabinetz had a big game, going two-for-three and scoring another fourth inning run.
 
In game three, the USC Lancaster Lancers took another victory over the Eagles with a score of 8-6. The Lancers ended game three with ten hits and Clark State with eleven. A few standout players of the third game of the weekend were DH Aaron Gilden, catcher Ayden Ray, and pitcher Luca Tsuru. Gilden collected a two-run home run in the third inning, ending this game with two RBIs and a run scored. Ray ended game three with two RBIs, which included a home run and a sacrifice fly ball.
Tsuru produced on the mound in relief, pitching 2.2 scoreless innings without allowing any hits.
 
In the final game of this series, the Lancers topped off the weekend with a shutout win, this time going ahead 10-0. Game four ended with Lancaster having fourteen hits compared to Clark State's one hit. The DH Gilden had another great game, going two-for-two with a double, walk and three RBIs. The left fielder Scott Henry earned himself a home run and a sacrifice fly, with three RBIs. West had a solo home run in the first inning, along with Baron going three-for-four, and scoring twice.
The Lancer pitching staff held the Eagles to a one-hit shutout, where JD Mace threw almost four innings of perfect pitching, only allowing the Eagles to collect one hit.

By: Kelsey Watson
2/16/26