Founders Park – Columbia, SC
GAME ONE
Thursday, April 20th, 2023
Another week, another highly anticipated top 6 matchup in the SEC. The Gamecocks did what they’ve done so well all season long, play well and win at home. The Carolina offense was firing on all cylinders in Game One, kicked off by no other than Ethan Petry, who knocked his 19th home run of the season. Michael Braswell lead the way with 3 extra base hits, scoring twice. Cole Messina joined the fun with 2 hits and 2 RBI of his own.
Carolina ace Will Sanders started on the hill and threw one of his best outings of the season. He picked up his 4th win of the season with 6IP, 3H, 2ER, 10K, 3BB on 89 pitches. Sanders shoved vs the nation’s home run leader in Jac Caglianone, who went 0-4 with a hat trick of strikeouts. The Gamecocks only had to cover one more inning in which James Hicks handled only allowing a hit and a clean box score after that on just 11 pitches. That was because the bats heated up in the 6th and 7th, scoring 5 runs in each inning. In the 6th, it started with 2RBI walks from Will Tippett and Dylan Brewer with the bases loaded. Then, Braylen Wimmer had an incredible 10 pitch at bat that also resulted in a RBI walk. The Gamecocks’ hottest hitter, Petry, followed that with a 2RBI single to center.
In the 7th, Braswell plated Casas from 2nd with a huge double and the energy from him and the rest of the Carolina dugout escalated even more. Messina later blasted a walk off doubled to center which plated Wimmer and Tippett to run-rule the #4 Gators, 13-3 in 7-innings. The Gamecocks stormed out of the dugout chasing down Messina to celebrate, throwing water on him and pulling off his jersey after the HUGE win in front of yet another electric crowd here at Founder’s Park.
Top Performers:
- Ethan Petry: 3-5, 3RBI, R, K
- Cole Messina: 2-5, 2RBI, R 2K
- Michael Braswell: 3-3, RBI, 2R BB
STATS & NOTES:
- The Gamecocks pick up their 3rd run-rule win of the season.
GAME TWO
Friday, April, 21st, 2023
The Gamecocks came into Game 2 with tons of momentum and looked to clinch the series. And that’s exactly what they did. Jack Mahoney started on the mound for Carolina. After a 1st inning home run to the nation’s leader, Jac Caglianone (23rd), he settled in and picked up where Will Sanders and James Hicks left off in Game 1. Mahoney went 5IP, 5H, 2ER, 3K, 3BB on 91 pitches, picking up his 4th win of the season, (4-1). As for the Gators starter, Hurston Waldrep, things went different. Carolina’s offense got to Waldrep from the jump, plating 2 runs in the 1st on a huge 2-run home run from Cole Messina that stole the little momentum that Florida grabbed in the 1st frame of the game. Ethan Petry, a name that is being said in what feels like every single game on the offensive side for the Gamecocks, blasted yet another home run, his 20th and this time a 3-run shot, in the 2nd to give Carolina what felt like a massive 5-1 lead. Both Gamecock home runs were scored with 2 outs in the inning, furthermore showing the fight and toughness of this Carolina ball club. Waldrep settled in and quieted the Gamecocks offense but received the loss (6-2) after 6IP, 6H, 5ER, 10K, 3BB on 112 pitches.
After Mahoney came Eli Jones out of the bullpen and he took care of business. Jones continued to shut down the Gators offense going 3IP, 3H, 0R, 4K, BB on 49 pitches. Chris Veach come on to close the door and he slammed it shut! Veach threw a spectacular inning to pickup a massive save for him and the ball club not allowing a runner to reach. He struck out the first batter he faced, followed by a fly out to center, and concluded with a strikeout of the slugger, Caglianone on 3 pitches. Veach only needed 11 total pitches as he closed out the game and electrified the entire ballpark as the Gamecocks clinched the series over the #4 Gators, with a 5-2 win.
Top Performers:
- Ethan Petry; 1-4, 3RBI, R, 2K
- Cole Messina: 1-4, 2RBI, R
STATS & NOTES:
- Ethan Petry ins 2nd in the nation with 20 home runs, behind Florida’s Jac Caglianone (23)
- Carolina ends the Gators’ streak of 13 consecutive series wins, dating back to April of 2022.
GAME THREE
Saturday, April 22nd, 2023
Game 3 of this top 6 ranked, SEC series was the tail of two storylines: Florida looking to salvage a game & prevent getting swept, and South Carolina looking to continue flying high and pick up a massive sweep. The Gamecocks did just that.
This one was a back and forth affair between the teams. Carolina yet again get the scoring going early, putting up 3 runs in the 1st two innings thanks Braylen Wimmer who mashed a 2-run homer in the 1st, and an RBI ground out in the 2nd. Ethan Petry later doubled in 2 runs in the 4th to extend the lead to 5-1. Florida’s Cade Kurland brought the power and juice for the Gators’ offense with a solo home run in the 2nd and in the 5th inning. Florida’s offense picked back up in the 8th with a Jac Caglianone RBI double and a Josh Rivera RBI single immediately after. The Gamecocks would answer immediately as Cole Messina was able to scrape across a run with the bases loaded, on a double play from the Gators.
Florida two-way phenom, Caglianone, toed the rubber in this one but wouldn’t last very long however. Caglianone picked up the loss (4-2) after 3IP, 3H, 4ER, 4K, 6BB on 82 pitches. Cade Fisher and Ryan slater came on in relief following and couldn’t fully quiet the Carolina offense, giving up 3 runs on 7 hits between the two of them over 5 innings. As for the Gamecocks pitching staff, Matthew Becker got the start and shoved vs this stout Gator lineup going, 5IP, 2H, 2ER, 6K, BB on 74 pitches. James Hicks would come out of the pen in relief again. He started strong, however, didn’t have his best stuff in his 3rd inning of relief. Hicks surrendered 2 earned runs on 3 hits and 2 walks over 3 innings on 48 pitches as the Gators were fighting with everything they had late in the final frames of this series. Chris Veach come on in the 9th and was able to secure the save after giving up only a run on one hit wit hone strikeout and no walks, needing 21 pitches. Veach struck out the 27th and final out of the series in front of packed Carolina crowd on their feet, filled with cheers as he did it and the South Carolina Gamecocks swept the #4 Florida Gators.
Top Performers:
- Braylen Wimmer: 2-5, 3RBI, HR, R, K
- Dylan Brewer: 4-5, 3R, K
- Cade Kurland: 2-4, 2RBI, 2R
STATS & NOTES
- Ethan Petry passes Justin Smoak for most RBI (63) as a freshman at South Carolina with 64
- Gamecocks lead the SEC after 40 games with a 3.23 ERA.