Baseball Uses Longball in Win over Winthrop
COLUMBIA – The University of South Carolina baseball team bashed five home runs, two off the bat of freshman Ethan Petry, and the Gamecock pitching staff had nine strikeouts with just one walk in a 19-3 win over Winthrop Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 21) at Founders Park.
Petry was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and four RBI in the win. Cole Messina belted Carolina’s second grand slam of the season and had three hits and four RBI. Braylen Wimmer and Caleb Denny had a home run and three RBI apiece and Evan Stone was 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored.
Carolina scored three runs in the second as Will McGillis scored a run on a fielder’s choice and Stone’s single plated two. The Gamecocks scored 14 runs in the middle innings, including Messina’s grand slam in the fifth and Petry’s homers in the fourth and sixth frames.
Freshman Eli Jerzembeck made his first appearance on the mound, allowing four hits and a run with four strikeouts in four innings of work. Eli Jones earned the win, also striking out four in 2.2 innings. Nick Proctor and Zach Zedalis did not allow a hit in the final 2.1 innings.
POSTGAME NOTES
- Carolina scored double digit runs in four straight contests to open the season for the first time since 1987.
- The last time the Gamecocks scored double digits in four straight contests was March 26-April 1, 2006.
- Caleb Denny now has a 32-game on-base streak dating back from his time at Oral Roberts.
- Zach Zedalis made his debut on the mound for the Gamecocks.
- David Cromer collected his first hit and RBI in the seventh inning.
- Jonathan French had two hits, including an RBI double, in the win.
- Winthrop starting pitcher Brody Hopkins is the younger brother of former Gamecock TJ Hopkins.
UP NEXT
Carolina continues its season-opening nine game homestand on Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 22) against Queens. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. The game will be streamed on SEC Network Plus.
