Thornburg Ties All-Time Homer Record Despite Loss to Paladins

GREENVILLE, S.C.- The Buccaneers (13-28, 8-11) played their second game in a row this week against a Southern Conference team facing the Paladins (18-20) of Furman University.  Despite three home runs from sophomore right fielder Tyler Thornburg, and taking an early 2-0 lead,  the Bucs dropped the game by a slim 6-5 margin.

With a pre-determined split the Paladins’ J.P. Goldsberry would tally the win in 4.0 innings of work, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out six.  Brandon Roberts also lasted 4.0 innings, taking the loss for CSU after giving up four runs on seven hits. 

The Bucs were led offensively by Thornburg who went four-for-four on the night, with four RBI, three homers, and a double.  Thornburg is the first Buc this season to hit three home runs in a single game, bringing his total to 10 for his sophomore campaign. The feat also ties Thornburg for the all-time record in home runs in a single game with Hardy Ferguson who smashed three in 1988 against Campbell University.  Thornburg is only five homers away from the season record in the same category.

For the second game in a row, the Bucs took a lead in the first with a pair of runs, but the Paladins would make that lead to be short-lived scoring two runs of their own in the second.  Leadoff batter Bentley Christmas started things off for the Bucs with a single before advancing to second on a wild pitch, but would be the out of a fielder’s choice allowing Tom Burkett to reach in the next at-bat.  Senior Tyler Thornburg would bring home Burkett after dropping his first homer of the night, over the left field wall to give the Bucs’ a 2-0 advantage.

In the bottom of the second, a home run from J.B. Jenkins brought the Paladins within one.  The Paladins would tie the game on an RBI double from Justin Holloway.  The Bucs would be held to their two runs until the fifth inning while Furman added another two to take a 4-2 advantage.

The Bucs added another two, one in each of the fifth and sixth innings, while the Paladins managed to stay one step ahead in the lead.  Thornburg would hit his second homer of the night over the center field wall in the fifth, while Christmas would tally his first RBI of the season to bring home Brantley Meier in the sixth.

Down by two runs in the top of the ninth, the Bucs would make one last effort, but Thornburg would be the only Buccaneer able to capitalize, hitting his third home run of the night, and the second one over the left field wall, to bring the Bucs within one, for the final score of 6-5.

The Bucs return to Conference action this weekend with a three game series against Radford University at Buccaneer Ballpark.  The final weekend series at home this season, CSU is hosting Alumni Weekend, while featuring Senior Day on Saturday. Friday’s game has been pushed up one hour with the first pitch slated for 2 p.m.