The Claflin University baseball team will close out the home portion of their season against USC Aiken in a Peach Belt Conference (PBC) three-game series.
Action gets underway at Historic Mirmow Field on Friday (Apr. 2) with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. The matchup concludes Saturday (Apr. 3) with a single game at 2 p.m. No fans are allowed in the stadium. Live Streaming will be available at game time.
Claflin enters the matchup at 2-21 on the season and the same mark in league play.
The Panthers will try to increase their home win-total, which stands at two. Claflin defeated the University of North Georgia 16-13 in February and most recently, Columbus State University 4-3.
In the win over Columbus State, Gay Mackenze, Dermus Strozier and Talmon Hubbard played significant roles.
Mackenze belted a three-run homer in the second inning, giving Claflin an early 3-1 cushion. The homer, Mackenzie’s first of the season, brought in Nicholas Johnson and Keyon Smith. Mackenzie finished the series at 3-for-5.
Strozier and Hubbard were effective on the mound for the Panthers. Strozier, 1-0, pitched 4.2 innings and allowed five hits. He gave up two earned runs, fanned three batters, and walked three.
Hubbard, who relieved Strozier, protected the Claflin lead in the final 4.1 innings, giving up just an eight-inning home run. He retired 13 of 14 batters in picking up the save.
Hubbard also raised his team-leading strikeout total to 26. Charles Jackson is second on the staff behind Hubbard in strikeouts with 23 followed by X’zavier Johnson at 16.
Steve Joyner, Da’Avion Sumpter, and Quinten Kinard remain the top three hitters for the Panthers. Joyner, who started all 23 games for Claflin this season, is batting .274 with a team-high 23 hits. His five-game hitting streak was snapped in the series finale against Columbus State. During the span, Joyner batted .315 (6-for-19).
Sumpter and Kinard are both hitting .259. Sumpter, who has hit safely in the last three games, has collected 21 hits and driven in 12 runs. Kinard has been consistent over the Panthers’ last 10 games, hitting a solid .263 (10-for-38).
Smith is the top home run hitter for Claflin with three to go with 11 RBIs.
Claflin will face a USC Aiken team that comes to Orangeburg with an 11-11 overall record and 11-11 in the PBC. The Pacers are led by the trio of Jackson Hannon, Morgan Hyde, and Sean McQuillan.
Jackson leads the team in all the major categories, batting at .295 with 28 hits, three home runs, and 20 RBIs. Hyde is next in hitting for USC Aiken with a .286 batting average and 14 RBIs followed by McQuillan, who is hitting .284 at the plate.
USC Aiken’s top pitchers are Lindsey Robinson, Jr., who leads the staff in strikeouts with 31; Alex Stobert at 3-1 on the mound; and Morgan Hyde with three saves.