South Carolina’s attack remained hot and the team remained undefeated with a rout from Winthrop on the road on Tuesday night, racking up the most races so far this season.
The Eagles entered the plate first, having a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a Dillon Morton RBI double. That lead was short-lived, as the Gamecocks set a couple of runs in the next inning to take on a lead they would never abandon. Andrew Eyster walked to get things started, Josiah Sightler and Braylen Wimmer chose to load the bases, and Joe Satterfield followed up with an RBI single to tie the game. Sightler came home with a pass, then Brady Allen hit a three-race dinger to make it 5-1. Two more races came to USC on the third, when Sightler hit a hitting base with an out, Wimmer doubled and Satterfield returned with another single to hit the score to 7-1.
Gamecocks really opened their doors the next inning. David Mendham walked to lead, Sightler left with one and a mistake took Wimmer safely to first and Sightler at home. Satterfield followed up with another RBI single to make the score 9-1, so George Callil chose and also Allen, bringing in another race and putting Carolina in double digits. Brennan Milone walked after that, so Wes Clarke was safe at first and Callil came home by mistake. At that point, the Gamecocks attacked and Mendham hit a RBI single, followed by an Eyster three-run home run that put the Gamecocks at 16-1. Winthrop managed two of those runs at the end of the inning on a flyout by Matt Levenson and a single by Tyler Baker RBI that made the score 16-3.
The Eagles had two runs at the bottom of the eighth inning, when three strokes filled the bases, then a wild shot brought one and Andrew Jenner dropped to bring the other and make 16-5. Both teams had another round of scoring on them in the ninth. To South Carolina, Noah Myers and Jack Mahoney were hit by a shot each, Myers later returned home on a flyout by Satterfield, so Michael Robinson walked and Milone came up with a 2-race double that put the Cocks in 19 -5. For Winthrop, a pair of batting batters put two runners on, so they both scored a double for Luke Hannum, who then returned home in trouble.
Sightler, the holder of the USC, worked three entries and allowed only three strokes and no runs, while he took no hitter and eliminated four. He also won and is now 1-0. Daniel Lloyd, Magdiel Cotto, Parker Coyne, Brett Thomas, CJ Weins, Cam Tringali and Travis Luensmann also made the decision in this game. Eagles starter Dalton Skinner lost and is now 2-1. Allen, Sightler and Satterfield led the Gamecocks on the board with three hits each, while Satterfield registered five RBI and Allen had four.
South Carolina improves to 7-0 this season, while Winthrop drops to 3-5. The Gamecocks will be back in action on Friday, when they will open a series against Mercer. The first performance is scheduled for 7 pm at Founders Park.