Freshmen guide Gamecocks in 17-0 blistering of USC Upstate

Senior Night will be Friday at Carolina Stadium. The Gamecocks staged Freshman Night Tuesday.

The four freshmen in South Carolina’s batting order combined for nine hits and 10 RBIs in a 17-0 win over USC Upstate, which has never defeated the Gamecocks in nine tries.

“It’s really, really nice to see them play the way we thought they would play and we think they can play,” USC coach Chad Holbrook said. “They’re obviously big parts not only the rest of this year but big parts of the future. I’ve always said I’m tickled pink with this freshman class, and you see why now with the way they’re performing.”

Designated hitter Alex Destino blasted a three-run homer in the five-run fourth inning and drew a bases-loaded walk in third for a career-high four RBIs. Catcher Hunter Taylor drilled a two-run double in the third and lashed an RBI single in the sixth.

Outfielder Clark Scolamiero collected three hits, including an RBI single in the fourth. And third baseman Madison Stokes, who got the starting nod when Max Schrock’s wrist sprain kept him from playing, also had a career-high three hits, including a two-run single in the sixth.

The Gamecocks pounded out 18 hits, the second-highest total of the season, as Patrick Harrington and Weber Pike picked up two hits each. Jordan Gore ripped a bases-clearing double in the eighth inning.

USC has scored 48 runs in its last four games while raising the team batting average from .251 to .262.

“We’ve got a lot of confidence right now. I think that’s key,” Scolamiero said. “We can go in here on Thursday night with a lot of confidence. I think we’ll have some fun.”

The freshmen have provided a real spark in the bottom half of the batting order in winning four of the last five games.

“It’s always good to a run going, especially with the runs we’ve put up the last four games. You can’t ask for anything more,” Taylor said.

USC improved to 31-22 overall, while the Spartans fell to 14-36. The Gamecocks play host to No. 1 LSU (44-8) in the final SEC series of the regular season starting Thursday at 7 p.m. in a game that will be televised on the SEC Network.

Holbrook likes that his team has hit its stride entering the biggest series of the season.

“It’s good to see us play the way I think we’re capable of playing right now,” Holbrook said. “We do have some guys in there with some confidence. It’s important not to just play one good weekend. It’s important to build upon that.”

Four pitchers combined on the five-hit shutout. Redshirt freshman right-hander Canaan Cropper tossed the first three innings in the first start of his career. Sophomore left-hander John Parke (2-0) pitched 3 1/3 innings of two-hit baseball to collect the victory.

Junior right-hander Preston Johnson and freshman right-hander Tyler Johnson finished up for the Gamecocks, who threw their seventh shutout of the season.

“They all spotted up well,” Taylor said. “Every pitch, from the first pitch to the last pitch, they hit their spots well.”

The Gamecocks also played their fourth straight errorless game. Most importantly, after struggling to find offensive consistency for much of the season, they continued their hot hitting another day.

“We swung the bats well. We brought the momentum we found last week to the park today,” Holbrook said. “The guys are getting a little more confident than they’ve been. They’ve put together some good at-bats.”

This story was originally published May 12, 2015 at 11:18 PM with the headline "Freshmen guide Gamecocks in 17-0 blistering of USC Upstate."