Stellar Pitching Performance Lifts Baseball to a Sweep of Sacred Heart

COLUMBIA  – Jake McCoy did not allow a hit in his five-inning start and Nathan Hall belted a three-run home run as part of a four-run sixth frame as the University of South Carolina baseball team shut out Sacred Heart, 8-0, Sunday afternoon (Feb. 16) at Ray Tanner Field at Founders Park. The Gamecocks swept the three-game set from the Pioneers.

McCoy walked just one batter and struck out nine in his 78-pitch start. It was the third straight game a Gamecock starter struck out nine batters. All of Zach Russell’s outs were by strikeout and Ashton Crowther and Tyler Pitzer finished the job with a combined three strikeouts. The staff held the Pioneers to just two hits in the win.

Hall drove in four runs, including a sacrifice fly to open the scoring in the bottom of the third. Carolina loaded the bases in the fifth and Kennedy Jones brought in a run as he was hit by a pitch. The Gamecocks did their most damage in the sixth. Will Tippett walked and stole second. KJ Scobey walked and Tippett scored on Blake Jackson’s double down the line in right. Hall then took a 1-1 pitch from Mitch Hawkins over the wall in left for the 6-0 lead.

Carolina ended the scoring in the eighth as Ethan Petry connected on his second career triple, scoring Henry Kaczmar. Kennedy Jones then plated Petry with a single to center.

Jones had a pair of RBI and Tippett and Scobey had two runs apiece in the win.

POSTGAME NOTES

• Carolina’s pitching staff struck out 45 batters this weekend while walking just four.
• Russell and Crowther each made their first appearances in a Gamecock uniform.
• The Gamecocks allowed just three hits in the last two games.
• Petry had a double, triple, home run and three walks on the weekend. He also was hit by a pitch.

UP NEXT
Carolina will take its act on the road, heading to Founders Field in Rock Hill for a Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 18) game against Winthrop. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.