South Carolina run rules Sacred Heart on Ray Tanner Day to clinch first series victory

After an Opening Day win on Friday, South Carolina head coach Paul Mainieri sent a text message to his players: “There is no way we are losing on Ray Tanner Day.”

With the Gamecocks honoring legendary coach Ray Tanner before Saturday’s game, with a field dedication ceremony in his name, Mainieri wanted his players’ minds ready to win. And they responded accordingly.

With countless former players, staff and others on hand for the big day, South Carolina (2-0) cruised to a 14-0 win over Sacred Heart in seven innings.

“Great day for Ray. Great day for South Carolina athletics really,” Mainieri said. “The president was here, the athletic director was here. A lot of dignitaries. It was a beautiful day.”

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It’s only two games, but there’s already a different feel and look to this Gamecock offense. Maybe the power will come along as the weather gets warmer with only one home run so far this season. For now, it’s been much more of putting the ball in play, hit and run, moving runners over, and taking advantage of the other team’s mistakes.

A lot of South Carolina’s early run scoring had more to do with what the Pioneers were doing, which didn’t result in much good. Right away in the first inning, the Gamecocks loaded the bases with one out and would score three runs, all coming without a hit: walk, sacrifice fly, and wild pitch.

They’d plate two more runs in the third before blowing it open in the fourth. After a leadoff walk, Henry Kaczmar hit a line drive right at second base, but the ball went off the fielder’s glove and rolled into right field. Ethan Petry proceeded to clear the bases with a two-run double that rolled to the right centerfield wall. Three more runs came across to score in the inning, all of which were unearned. Sacred Heart committed two errors, though its defense struggled to play clean baseball most of the day.

Even with the surplus of run support from the offense, Matthew Becker didn’t need much of it as he pitched a gem in his first start of the season. The senior left-hander made it through five innings on just 60 pitches and only allowed one hit on a weakly hit infield single in the second.

Becker struck out nine without a walk. He finished out strongly by retiring the final 11 batters he faced in order, striking out the side in the fifth.

“I think the biggest difference isn’t really a stuff thing. I think it’s more of the mentality,” Becker said on what’s he noticed in his outing to start this season. “Getting pitch to pitch, making the out in the clutch moments, and taking that breath.”

Through two games, South Carolina has received solid outings from its starting pitching. Between Becker and Friday starter Dylan Eskew, they have combined to give up one run through 10 innings while striking out 18 without a walk.

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With the game already well in hand, Mainieri called on Ryder Garino to pitch the final two innings. The freshman right-hander retired the side in order in the sixth. He did the same in the seventh, retiring all six batters he faced while striking out the final four to cap off the run-rule victory.

“Oh, I’m really high on Ryder Garino, and not just because he’s Italian. I don’t love Garino because he’s Italian. I love him because I’m Italian,” Mainieri said. “He’s a strike-throwing machine and he’s going to keep getting better and better and better. But he’s thrown just about like that every single scrimmage game since he’s been here.”

As a pitching staff, South Carolina has struck out 29 total batters through two games, 16 on Friday and 13 between Becker and Garino on Saturday.

Up next: South Carolina will go for the series sweep on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is at noon on SEC Network Plus. Jake McCoy will make his first start of the year.

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