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The Gamecocks jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning against the Panthers. Gene Cone walked to start things off, then came home on a home run from Kyle Martin. Alex Destino followed with a single, then he came home when Max Schrock went yard.
South Carolina tacked on three more runs in the next inning. Marcus Mooney led off with a single, Cone and Elliott Caldwell walked, and Destino came through with a one-out, two-run single. Schrock contributed a sac fly to make it 7-0.
High Point got on the board in the third inning, scoring two runs on a single and an error.
The Gamecocks answered with four more runs in the bottom of the inning. DC Arendas was hit by a pitch - something that seems to be happening to him a lot this season - and that was followed by a single and a walk to load the bases. Caldwell came through with an RBI single, then Martin roped a two-run double to put South Carolina up 11-2.
The Panthers added one more run, though they had a few opportunities to add more than that.
It was encouraging to see offensive contributions up and down the lineup, and it was also good to see strong performances at the plate from Martin, who had 4 RBI, and Schrock, who had three. Cone saw his 11-game hitting streak come to an end, but he did walk three times to keep his streak of reaching base safely alive.
South Carolina starter Matt Vogel worked 3.2 innings and gave up one hit and two runs. The Gamecocks gave some guys who we hadn't seen much of yet this season a chance to get some work in on the mound, with Destino, Preston Johnson, and Tyler Johnson all pitching in this game. Though all of the pitchers did a nice job, Preston Johnson was particularly impressive. He earned the win and is now 1-0 on the season. High Point starter Peter Ripke, who was pulled in the second inning, took the loss and is now 0-1.
South Carolina improves to 9-3, while High Point drops to 2-8. The Gamecocks will finally get a day off, and will be back in action on Friday, when they start a weekend series with Miami (Ohio). First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST at Carolina Stadium.