COLUMBIA, S.C. (Interstat) — Logan Sutter’s solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning broke a tie and lifted South Carolina to a 4-3 victory over Princeton in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday at Carolina Stadium.

The Gamecocks, who improved to 11-5, overcame an early three-run deficit and a strong start by Princeton’s Liam Kinneen to secure the win. The Tigers fell to 2-7.

Princeton struck quickly against South Carolina starter Riley Goodman. In the first inning, Ben Crerar doubled and scored on a single by Jake Koonin. The Tigers added another run in the second when Charlie Clarke reached on a fielder’s choice and came home on an RBI double from Grant Werdesheim.

Kinneen, the Princeton starter, was dominant early, holding South Carolina without a hit through the first four innings. The Gamecocks finally broke through in the fifth. With one out, Tyler Bak hit a ground-rule double, and Will Craddock followed with a two-run single to center field, cutting the Princeton lead to 3-2.

The Tigers responded in the top of the sixth when Koonin launched a solo home run to left field, restoring a two-run advantage. That prompted South Carolina to bring in reliever Brandon Stone, who stifled the Princeton offense for the remainder of the game.

Stone earned the win with 3 2/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief. He struck out five and walked none, effectively shutting down any further Princeton rallies.

The most important part of the game came in the later innings as South Carolina mounted its comeback against the Princeton bullpen. After Kinneen exited following five innings of two-run ball, the Gamecocks tied the game in the seventh against reliever Ryan Penney. With the bases loaded, Parker Noland scored on a walk by Ethan LeCroy, making it 3-3.

An inning later, Sutter led off the eighth by driving a Penney pitch over the left field wall for the decisive run. Penney took the loss, allowing two earned runs over three innings.

Princeton threatened in the ninth against Stone. Werdesheim singled, stole second, and advanced to third on an error, putting the tying run 90 feet away with one out. But Stone induced a pop-up from Crerar to shortstop to end the game.

Koonin led Princeton’s eight-hit attack, going 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs. Werdesheim was 3 for 4 with an RBI. South Carolina managed just six hits, with Craddock’s two-RBI single and Sutter’s home run providing the key offense.

The teams were scheduled to conclude the doubleheader later Saturday.