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Dayton got on the board first, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning primarily because the Gamecocks did not do a great job defensively. That lead was short-lived, though, as the home team tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a two-out solo shot from Wes Clarke.
USC tacked on a couple of insurance runs in the next inning. David Mendham led things off with a base hit, then Braylen Wimmer came through with a two-run homer to atone for his defensive issues in the first inning and make it a 3-1 game. In the third inning, Brady Allen and Brandon Milone both walked to start things off, then Allen came home a single by Clarke that put the home team up 4-1. Two more South Carolina runs came in the fourth, one on a Colin Burgess solo shot and the other after Wimmer singled, advanced on an error, and scored on an RBI sac fly from Allen that made the score 6-1.
Things got tense in the next inning though, as the Flyers pulled within one run thanks to a three-run homer from Riley Tirotta and a wild pitch. After both teams were scoreless in the sixth inning, USC got a couple of runs back in the seventh. Allen went yard to start the inning, then Clarke and Andrew Eyster walked with one out and Mendham singled to load the bases before Jeff Heinrich came through with an RBI sac fly to make the score 8-5.
The scoring wasn’t over for the Gamecocks, with four more runs coming in the eighth inning. With one out, George Callil doubled, Allen walked, Milone singled to get Callil home and put the home team up 9-5. Clarke then followed with a three-run bomb that put Carolina into double digits.
Gamecocks starter Brannon Jordan pitched four innings and gave up two hits and four runs, wlaked four bATTERS, and struck four out. He also tallied one wild pitch and hit one batter. Josiah Sigtler, Andrew Perters and John Gilreath also pitched in this game for USC, and Peters got the win, making him 1-0. Dayton starter Ben Olson took the loss and is 0-1. Clarke led the Gamecocks at the plate with three hits and five RBI.
South Carolina will go for the sweep on Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for noon at Founders Park. Julian Bosnic is set to start on the mound for the home team.