South Carolina baseball (12-5) earned its first series sweep of the season over Princeton after three strong wins. The Gamecocks swept both games in a Saturday doubleheader, 10-7 and 4-3, before closing out the series with a commanding 13-1 win Sunday night. The offense had 34 hits, including six home runs and nine doubles.
"I challenged the guys at the beginning of the week," head coach Paul Mainieri said. "We had some tough games during the course of this week, but we found a way to prevail and get our record back to something that's respectable."
Three home runs push South Carolina to 10-7 win
The Gamecocks earned the first win of the Saturday doubleheader against Princeton 10-7 at Founders Park. South Carolina had 13 hits, including three home runs, in the victory.
Junior right-hander Josh Gunther made his second start for the Gamecocks in Game 1 following a stellar performance on Feb. 27 against Clemson.
Princeton took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning with freshman designated hitter Joe Montembeau singling for the Tigers' first hit of the day. Back-to-back RBI doubles from senior second baseman Jake Koonin and sophomore catcher Will Robbins drove the first two runs of the game in.
Fifth-year catcher Talmadge LeCroy quickly cut into the two-run deficit in the bottom of the first after he blasted his third home run of the season to keep the Gamecocks down 2-1 after one inning.
Princeton extended its lead to 4-1 in the fourth inning following back-to-back singles. Both runners advanced on a failed pickoff attempt and scored off a two-run single from junior infielder Tommy Googins.
Gunther’s day ended after 3.1 innings with six strikeouts, giving up four runs off eight hits. Sophomore right-hander Cooper Parks entered in relief for the Gamecocks and earned his first strikeout to end the inning.
The Gamecocks scored two runs in the fourth inning after a double from senior outfielder Ethan Lizama and a home run from fifth-year infielder Logan Sutter cut into the Tigers' lead, 4-3.
Parks found himself in an early jam in the fifth inning after the first two batters reached. With runners on the corners, Robbins singled to extend Princeton’s lead 5-3.
Junior outfielder Aaron Jamison singled to open the bottom of the fifth for the Gamecocks. Sophomore shortstop KJ Scobey had the Gamecocks' third home run of the day to tie the game, 5-5.
Lizama doubled the next at-bat to continue the rally. The Gamecocks took their first lead of the day courtesy of an RBI single from junior outfielder Tyler Bak to take a 6-5 lead after five innings.
The Gamecocks extended their lead to 10-5 in the bottom of the seventh after a hit-by-pitch from LeCroy, and a double from Scobey put two on. RBI singles from Sutter and Bak, followed by a two-run triple from junior third baseman Dawson Harman, helped push South Carolina up five runs.
Princeton threatened at the top of the eighth inning after a single and a walk put runners on with junior left-hander Alex Valentin on the mound. An infield single loaded the bases with one out for the Tigers. Junior third baseman Jake Kernodle doubled to right field to cut into the lead, 10-7.
Valentin was able to retire the last three batters in the top of the ninth to secure the 10-7 win in game one of the doubleheader.
Go-ahead homer gives Gamecocks series win
South Carolina earned the series win against Princeton 4-3 in Game 2 of the Saturday doubleheader thanks to a go-ahead solo home run by Sutter in the eighth inning.
Redshirt freshman Riley Goodman made his fourth start for the Gamecocks in the second game of the day and finished with two strikeouts, two walks and two earned runs in four innings of work.
"I think, Riley, each time he goes out there, it's a progress because he's gaining more and more experience," Mainieri said.
Princeton once again took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning after an RBI single from Koonin.
In the second inning, freshman outfielder Christian Clarke scored off an RBI double from sophomore outfielder Grant Werdesheim to give Princeton a 2-0 advantage.
Junior right-hander Elijah Foster started the fifth inning on the mound for the Gamecocks after Goodman’s day ended and retired the first three batters he faced.
A double from Bak moved two runners into scoring position for freshman infielder Will Craddock, who singled but was caught stealing second. The RBI single tied the game 2-2 in the fifth.
The Tigers regained the lead at the top of the sixth inning with a solo home run from Koonin. Foster’s day ended after the home run, with South Carolina bringing in junior right-hander Brandon Stone.
Down 3-2 in the seventh, Jamison walked to once again give South Carolina a leadoff baserunner. Harman reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to second base on a balk. A walk from Bak and a hit-by-pitch from Craddock loaded the bases for the Gamecocks.
With two outs, LeCroy drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game 3-3. The Gamecocks left the bases loaded after a flyout ended the inning, but still managed to tie the game after seven innings.
After Stone sat down all three batters he faced in the top of the eighth inning, Sutter blasted his second home run of the day in the bottom of the eighth to secure South Carolina’s 4-3 win.
Dominant 13-1 victory secures series sweep
South Carolina capped off its series against Princeton with a dominant 13-3 run-rule win to secure the first sweep of the season. The offense exploded with 15 hits, including four doubles.
Junior right-hander Amp Phillips made his fourth start for the Gamecocks Sunday evening and went five innings with seven strikeouts, two walks and one earned run in the win.
"I thought he was tremendous," Mainieri said. "That's the Amp Phillips that we expected when we recruited him ... All his pitches were working. He had great command of everything. He competed hard."
With two outs in the first, LeCroy walked and later scored on an RBI double from Scobey to give South Carolina an early 1-0 lead.
Princeton quickly responded with a solo home run at the top of the second by Robbins to tie the game 1-1.
A walk from Sutter and a hit-by-pitch from redshirt junior infielder Jack Reynolds gave the Gamecocks another opportunity to score in the bottom of the second with no outs. Another hit-by-pitch from Craddock loaded the bases, with Sutter and Reynolds scoring on an RBI single from Bak.
Sutter continued his powerful offensive production in the third inning after blasting his third home run in as many games to push the Gamecocks out 5-1. The offense continued with a single from Reynolds and a double from Harman to put runners in scoring position with no outs.
Another hit-by-pitch, this time for sophomore outfielder Caleb Hoover, loaded the bases in the bottom of the third for Craddock. Singles from Craddock and Bak helped to give South Carolina a 7-1 lead in the third inning.
Harman and Hoover reached to lead off the fifth inning and Craddock drove in his second run of the night to push South Carolina out 8-1.
The bases were loaded for the third time, once again by a hit-by-pitch from Bak in the fifth inning. A grand slam from LeCroy and an RBI double from Scobey secured the Gamecocks' 13-1 run-rule win.
What's Next?
South Carolina will travel down to Charleston to take on The Citadel (5-8) Tuesday at 7 p.m. The game will be streaming on ESPN+.