GTCC Titans rally to split DH with Sumter- salvage weekend series split:Walk-off homer from Burkes(Dudley HS)

Brandon Burkes hit a walk-off solo home run in extra innings of Game 2 to lead the Titans to a 5-4 victory and salvage not only a double header split, but also a weekend series split with Region X foe USC-Sumter. The win pushes the Titans’ overall record to 19-18 and 12-12 in conference play.

Game 1 saw USC-Sumter take advantage of a miserable performance from the Titans pitching staff and go on to thump GTCC by the score of 11-3. For the game, Titan pitchers issued 8 walks, allowed 11 runs on 11 hits, and even hit one batter. Tiger Miller led the Titan hitters going 2-2, and Dylan Brown and TJ Wharton added RBI’s for the Titans as well.

After allowing 2 runs in the 1st inning, Titan starter Tommy Marshall shook off a rocky start to Game 2 by tossing 5 solid innings allowing 3 runs on 5 hits with 6 strikeouts. The Titans rallied from a 3-1 deficit by scoring twice on a Brandon Burkes RBI triple and Ernesto Fernandez RBI single to knot the score at 3 in the 4th inning. A Cody Adkins RBI single in the bottom of the 6th inning gave the Titans the lead only to see Sumter rally for a single run in the top of the 7th. The Titans failed to score in the bottom of the frame and the game heading to extra innings. Sumter went down in order in the top of the eighth. Brandon Burkes then led off the bottom of the eighth inning by crushing a 1-1 pitch high over the left field fence for a walk-off home run. Jake Walser threw 3 solid innings in relief to pick up the win for the Titans.

The Titans return to action this weekend as they travel to Spartanburg Methodist College for their final conference series before the Region X tournament.

GAME 1     R  H  E
050 240 0  11 11 0 USCS 
100 020 0  3  9  0 GTCC

Loss- Austin Cole
Hitters Tiger Miller 2-2, TJ Wharton 1-2 w/1 RBI, Dylan Brown 1-1 w/1RBI

GAME 2        R  H  E
200 100 10    4  8  1 USCS 
010 201 01    5  9  2  GTCC

Win- Jake Walser
Hitters- Brandon Burkes 3-4 w/RBI triple & solo home run, Cody Adkins 2-4 w/1 RBI, Ernesto Fernandez 1-2 w/2 RBI

John Barrow
Head Baseball Coach
Guilford Technical Community College