After an emotional series against archrival Clemson, the Gamecock baseball team avoided a hangover by scoring 19 runs in a 19-8 road win over the Winthrop Eagles on Tuesday night.
With the win, the Gamecocks remain undefeated and push their win streak to 12 games. The Gamecocks have not lost a game since last season.
After trailing by one in the first inning, South Carolina scored 16 unanswered runs, five of which came in the second and nine in the fourth, putting the game out of reach early on.
"The focus and intensity of our team was really good, and that's what we asked of them," South Carolina head baseball coach Mark Kingston said postgame. "We wanted to continue to see great baseball, and we saw that tonight."
In his South Carolina debut, graduate transfer infielder Joe Satterfield opened up the scoring with an RBI single to second base. On the night, he went 3-for-5 with five RBIs.
"Obviously, I was excited to get out there and get the chance to play," Satterfield, the former Elon captain said. "My role everyday is the same in my head, trying to do what I can to help the team win, whether I'm in the dugout or on the field."
Junior left-handed pitcher Josiah Sightler made his first start of the season and picked up the win, surrendering one run on three hits in three innings with four strikeouts. He also reached base in all four of his earlier plate appearances, with three hits and three runs scored in the win.
"I thought [his start] was very solid; not dominant, but very solid," Kingston said. "He also swung the bat well. He's a big part of us winning tonight. He set the tone on the mound, had good at-bats. Real important piece for us."
Besides junior catcher Wes Clarke, the entirety of the Gamecocks' starting lineup picked up at least one hit, and four players had multi-hit performances.
Junior outfielder Brady Allen drove in four runs, three of which came on a second-inning home run.
Following his tremendous performance against Clemson, senior outfielder Andrew Eyster continued to stay hot, drilling a three-run home run in the fourth.
After walking in his first three at-bats, sophomore infielder Brennan Milone delivered with a two-run double in the ninth to put the finishing touch on the game.
In a game that had an overarching amount of positives, the bullpen looked shaky at times as junior right-handers Daniel Lloyd, C.J. Weins and Cam Tringali combined to allow seven runs on four hits and four walks.
"The team played really well," Satterfield said. "The team is 7-0, and that's what matters at the end of the day, so we're excited."
What's next?
The Gamecocks will begin a weekend series with Mercer on Friday night at Founders Park. Television coverage begins at 4 p.m. on SEC Network+.