Gamecocks flex power in doubleheader sweep at Georgia
Watch out for South Carolina.
The No. 16 Gamecocks made a compelling statement Saturday — on their first day of SEC play — that they belong in the conversation as one of the top teams in the country.
Already ranking as the national leader in home runs, fifth in national earned run average and top 10 in most offensive categories, the Gamecocks’ only blemish heading into the weekend was their soft non-conference schedule.
The competition ramped up against Georgia in Athens, and the Gamecocks responded by winning the first two games of the series with authority, sweeping Saturday’s doubleheader on the road. USC (19-1, 2-0 SEC) rallied late to win Game 1 5-4, then jumped out to an early lead in Game 2 and beat the Bulldogs 12-2. The game ended in seven innings due to the SEC 10-run rule.
Using both the long ball and strong pitching by starters Will Sanders and Noah Hall, the Gamecocks put away a veteran-heavy Georgia team (13-6, 0-2) that also hadn’t faced much adversity in non-league play.
There was a momentary scare in Game 1. After six strong innings by Sanders, the junior right-hander hit a wall in the seventh, allowing a game-tying two-run home run to UGA third baseman Parks Harber, then a go-ahead sacrifice fly.
But USC bounced back in the top of the ninth, as sophomore Michael Braswell drove a two-run opposite-field double to give the Gamecocks the lead right back. Braswell, relegated to backup shortstop duty after starting much of last year, produced his signature moment of the young season. The combination of freshman Eli Jerzembeck and veteran James Hicks closed out the game on the back end.
Game 2 was more of the lopsided affair we’ve come to expect from watching USC’s powerful lineup through the first month of the season. Most notably, precocious freshman Ethan Petry drilled two homers in Game 2 after homering in Game 1 — giving him three on the day and pushing his season total to nine.
The Gamecocks put up five runs against 6-foot-6 left-handed starter Liam Sullivan, who had allowed just one earned run in his four previous starts combined (0.44 ERA). A seven-run fifth inning against the underbelly of UGA’s bullpen broke the game open for USC.
The Gamecocks will wrap up the series against the Bulldogs on Sunday at 3 p.m. (SEC Network) and will host Missouri next weekend after a midweek tilt at Charlotte.
Next four USC baseball games
Sunday: at Georgia, 3 p.m. (SEC Network)
Tuesday: at Charlotte, 6 p.m. (ESPN Plus)
Friday: Missouri, 7 p.m. (SEC Network)
Saturday: Missouri, 4 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
This story was originally published March 18, 2023 at 7:44 PM.
