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Early offense leads to midweek drubbing of North Carolina

On3 imageby:Collyn Taylor•04/06/22•

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Jack Mahoney (Photo by Katie Dugan)

An odd stretch for South Carolina baseball continues.

The Gamecocks, after dropping a series on the road this weekend to Missouri, came back to snag a win over a ranked opponent. South Carolina dispatched No. 22 North Carolina in Charlotte, jumping out to an early lead and cruising to a 15-2 win.

It’s South Carolina’s fifth win over a ranked opponent and fifth win over a team inside the top 20 of the RPI. It’s the biggest margin of victory this season.

The Gamecocks (14-14, 3-6 SEC) have now beaten the Tar Heels in football, women’s soccer, women’s basketball and baseball this sports season.

Things started quickly for South Carolina with the Gamecocks plating six of their 15 runs in the first three innings.

They’d get one in the first on an Andrew Eyster run-plating double play then two on a Brandt Belk single in the second. Jack Mahoney busted the game open the following inning, launching a three-run homer for his first career long ball.

After that, it was all about Aidan Hunter settling things down for South Carolina in the middle innings.

Eli Jones, in his second outing after Tommy John surgery, gave up two hits in a pair of scoreless innings but Hunter took control of the game.

He’d pitch four innings of one-run baseball. Hunter allowed just three hits and two walks while striking out six of the 19 batters he faced.

South Carolina’s bullpen, which also struggled against Missouri, was great against a good North Carolina.

After Hunter, Gamecocks relievers combined to pitch three innings and only allowed one more run. They’d strike out four more batters and allowed just two hits, none after the seventh inning.

The insurance came in the fifth with the offense tacking on two more runs with a passed ball with a runner on third. Colin Burgess followed it up with a RBI single.

The Gamecocks also punctuated the win with a big seven-run ninth inning. They sent 12 to the plate and six different players picked up RBI hits in that inning alone.

Ten different Gamecocks picked up hits Tuesday and nine drove in runs. Braylen Wimmer led the way with a 3-for-6 night while Belk (2) and Eyster (2) each had multi-hit days.

South Carolina now jumps right back into SEC play hosting another ranked Georgia team this weekend at Founders Park. FIrst pitch Friday is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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