South Carolina wasted little time in putting its difficult weekend series against rival Clemson behind them, plating runs in four of its first five turns at the plate on the way to a 7-1 victory over The Citadel at Founders Park, Tuesday.
Ethan Petry got the scoring started with an RBI single in the first inning. Two batters later, Kennedy Jones singled home Talmadge Lecroy (3-4) for a 2-0 advantage. After Will Tippett scored on a wild pitch in the second, the Gamecocks posted three more runs in the fourth for a six-run lead. The Citadel scored its only run on Wells Sykes’ fifth-inning infield single.
Lecroy scored three runs and was responsible for USC’s only two extra-base hits, a fourth-inning double and a fifth-inning triple. Cole Messina drove in two runs, raising his team-high RBI total to 14.
Four Gamecocks pitchers held the Bulldogs to one run on seven hits. Parker Marlatt (1-0) picked up the win in relief of starter Eddie Copper. Copper fanned six and surrendered one earned run in 4.1 innings to lower his ERA to 1.35. The USC staff combined for 13 strikeouts without issuing a walk.
South Carolina (9-3) is right back in action against Davidson, Wednesday afternoon. First pitch from Founders Park is scheduled for 3 p.m.