Champs start season 3-0
Taking the field for the first time as the defending champion, South Carolina kicked off its new season the same way it did last year.
Playing host to Santa Clara, the Gamecocks rolled to a three-game sweep, culminated by a 6-0 victory Sunday afternoon.
"I'm very happy about our weekend — being able to win all three games against an outstanding Santa Clara team," coach Ray Tanner said. "All the games we played were in balance at some point or another. It wasn't an easy weekend for us, but we did some good things. We played some good defense, had quality pitching and timely hitting."
After one last celebration of the national title in a pre-game ceremony, Carolina wasted little time picking up where it left off. Powered by preseason All-American Jackie Bradley Jr. — who finished the day 4-4 with a home run and three RBI — the Gamecocks went into the eighth inning of Friday's opener sporting a 6-2 lead.
The Broncos didn't go down quietly, rallying for three runs to cut the lead to 6-5, but behind Bradley, Carolina managed to pull away for good.
The junior sparked the scoring barrage with a double to right-center field that advanced outfielder Adam Matthews to third. Moments later, first baseman Christian Walker crushed a three-run homer into the Santa Clara bullpen to make it 9-5. After an RBI sacrifice fly from designated hitter Robert Beary shortly after, second baseman Scott Wingo showed off his power with a two-run shot to right, securing Carolina's 12-5 win.
"Even the great ones in this game still make outs, and [Bradley] didn't make an out today," Tanner said. "He was up there in some tough situations, and that's what you want. You want your guys to be there in run-scoring opportunities, big at-bats and clutch situations. Sometimes, your guys don't come up at the right time, but today he came up at some critical times and delivered."
As much offense as was seen in the opener, however, Saturday and Sunday's matchups fell on the other end of the spectrum.
A day after Michael Roth went 5.2 innings and allowed four hits and two runs, game two starter and fellow left-hander Tyler Webb worked six of his own while giving up three hits and striking out four. Although he got off to a rickety start with a run in the first, Webb settled lifted.
"I'm glad the coaching staff let me find it out there," Webb said. "Maybe if I was freshman I wouldn't have had as big of a leash to find the strike zone. I'm thankful for that, and I finally found it in the end."
Carolina finally got on the board in the fifth when a single from catcher Dante Rosenberg brought around third baseman Adrian Morales from second. An inning later, the Gamecocks took the lead for good after a Morales sacrifice fly scored Walker from third, sewing up a 2-1 victory.
"It was a grind-out win," Morales said. "Our bullpen was phenomenal. You can't ask for anything better."
The series finale saw both teams locked in a scoreless tie in the sixth when Santa Clara third baseman Kyle DeMerritt smacked a pitch into right field with runners at first and second. As first baseman Curtis Wagner rounded third, Matthews quickly fielded the ball and fired it home, gunning him down to maintain the shutout.
"[Assistant coach Chad Holbrook] is letting us throw more this year. Usually when we're out there we throw to second," Matthews said. "I made a good throw and [catcher Brady Thomas] had a good tag and it worked out for us."
Leading off in the bottom of the inning, Matthews provided a spark once again with a bunt single. After Bradley added a single of his own, Walker drilled a double off the top of the left-field wall, bringing around both runners and giving Carolina a 2-0 lead.
Walker — who finished the weekend 6-12 with a home run and six RBI — advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt shortly after then scored on a wild pitch. Moments later, an Evan Marzilli sacrifice fly allowed Thomas trot in to home, putting USC ahead 4-0.
"I'm seeing [the ball] pretty well," Walker said. "It's the first time we're seeing other pitchers besides our own. It's a little different look and you've got to have a little different approach, but I'm seeing it well and I feel good out there."
The sophomore added to the lead once again in the seventh with an RBI single, and Marzilli drove in Morales with a base hit in the eighth, allowing Carolina to close out a 6-0 win.
"[Walker and Bradley] are very disciplined hitters," Tanner said. "Their approach and emotions are in check the majority of the time, they understand the strike zone for the most part, they look for pitches to hit, they're not afraid to take a pitch; sometimes I want them to hit before they hit, but they're good players. If we can get some guys on base, we've got a chance for those guys to drive some people in."