South Carolina got off to a slow start against Winthrop on Tuesday afternoon, but the Gamecocks rallied in the second half of the game and came away with their third-straight win.
The Eagles took a 2-0 lead in the first inning after a leadoff walk and a pair of doubles, then they made it 3-0 on a throwing error. Two more runs scored in the second inning, one on another throwing error and the other on a wild pitch, putting Winthrop up 5-0.
An RBI single gave the Eagles a 6-0 lead in the top of the third, then USC ended the shutout in the bottom of the inning. Brady Allen was safe on a fielder’s choice, then with two outs, Noah Campbell walked, Quinntin Perez got hit by a pitch, and TJ Hopkins also walked to bring Allen home and make the score 6-1.
The Gamecocks added another run in the fourth inning. Jacob Olson singled to start things off, Andrew Eyster and Allen both walked with one out, and Olson scored on a fielding error. Two more South Carolina runs came in the fifth inning. Hopkins led off with a single, then came home on an RBI double from Luke Berryhill, who later scored on a groundout by Chris Cullen, making it 6-4.
The sixth inning featured three more runs for the Gamecocks. Campbell knocked a base hit with two outs, Perez reached on a fielding error, and Hopkins brought Campbell in with an RBI double. Berryhill then came through again, scoring Hopkins and Perez with a base hit to put USC up 7-4.
The final run of the game came in the eighth inning, when Campbell doubled to start things off and a throwing error allowed him to come home.
Starter TJ Shook worked just one inning and allowed three hits and four runs, walked one batter, and struck out three. Cam Tringali, Parker Coyne, Daniel Lloyd, Hayden Lehman, and Sawyer Bridges combined to pitch the rest of the game. Coyne earned the win and is 1-0, while Bridges got the save, his first of the season. Winthrop’s Colten Rendon took the loss and is 0-1.
South Carolina improves to 3-1 on the season, while Winthrop is now 1-3. The Gamecocks will be back in action on Wednesday, when they host Presbyterian. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Founders Park.