USC had another extremely productive day on offense
South Carolina locked up a series victory on Saturday with a trouncing of UMass Lowell for the second straight day, this time winning 17-1.
The River Hawks scored their only run of the game in the top of the first inning, thanks to a double by Gerry Siracusa. The Gamecocks wasted no time responding, taking a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning. Carson Hornung walked to start things off, Caleb Denny and Cole Messina both singled with one out to load the bases, and Talmadge LeCroy came through with a base hit of his own to bring Hornung and Denny home.
USC added five more runs in the next inning. Evan Stone knocked a base hit to lead off, Hornung walked, and Denny went yard with one out to make the score 5-1. Messina and LeCroy both walked after that, then Will McGillis singled with one out to bring Messina in and an error got LeCroy home and made it a 7-1 game. The Cocks tacked on two more in the third inning, as Stone reached on a dropped fly and later scored on a double by Braylen Wimmer, who then came home on an error, making the score 9-1.
Carolina broke it even more wide open in the fourth, when Dylan Brewer and Stone walked and Hornung got hit by a pitch to load the bases before Braylen Wimmer smacked a grand slam that put the home team up 13-1. The final four runs of the game came in the next inning, as Messina got hit by a pitch to start things off, LeCroy singled, and both advanced on a wild pitch before Gavin Casas and McGillis hit back-to-back homers.
Gamecocks starter Noah Hall pitched 5.1 innings and allowed two hits and one run. He walked one batter, struck out four, and got the win, making him 1-0. Trey Wheeler, Chris Veach, Jackson Phipps, and Brett Thomas also pitched for USC in this game. ULM starter Brian Foley took the loss and is now 0-1.
LeCroy led the Cocks at the plate with four hits, while Wimmer tallied five RBI. Just two ULM players tallied a hit, and Siracusa recorded the only RBI.
South Carolina improves to 2-0 on the season, while the River Hawks are 0-2. The Gamecocks will go for the sweep on Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at Founder’s Park. Jack Mahoney is set to start on the mound for the home team.