USC racked up another midweek win over an in-state opponent
No. 20 South Carolina stayed in the win column on Tuesday, routing The Citadel 8-1.
The Gamecocks got on the board in the second inning, taking a 1-0 lead on a solo shot by Ethan Petry, then going up 2-0 on a one-out homer by Will McGillis. The Bulldogs ended the shutout and scored their only run of the game in the fourth, courtesy of a single by Travis Elliott that made it a 2-1 game.
That score held until the sixth, when USC added three more runs for some breathing room. Braylen Wimmer and Gavin Casas each singled with one out and advanced on a passed ball, then an error got Wimmer home, making it 3-1. Cole Messina followed with a double that brought Casas in to make the score 4-1, and Petry knocked a base hit to score Messina, putting the Cocks up 5-1.
Carolina tacked on two more runs in the next inning, when Dylan Brewer started things off with a single and Casas went yard with two outs to make it 7-1. The final run of the game came in the eighth, when Jonathan French homered with two outs.
Gamecocks starter Eli Jones went five innings and allowed five hits and one run. He didn’t walk any batters, struck out six, and earned the win, making him 3-0. Eli Jerzembeck and Nick Proctor combined to go the rest of the way for South Carolina. Citadel starter Conner Cummiskey pitched two innings and gave up two hits and two runs. He walked one batter, struck two out, and took the loss, making him 1-1.
Casas and Paetry led the Cocks at the plate with two hits and two RBI each. Six Bulldogs tallied one hit each, and Elliott recorded the only RBI.
USC improves to 12-1 overall, while The Citadel is now 7-5. The Gamecocks will be back in action on Wednesday, when they travel to take on USC Upstate in Greenville. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.