South Carolina at Winthrop game recap: Gamecocks blow out Eagles 19-8

South Carolina’s offense stayed hot and the team stayed undefeated with a rout of Winthrop on the road on Tuesday night, racking up their highest number of runs so far this season.

The Eagles got on the board first, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a Dillon Morton RBI double. That lead was short-lived, as the Gamecocks scored a pair of runs in the next inning to take a lead they’d never relinquish. Andrew Eyster walked to start things off, Josiah Sightler and Braylen Wimmer both singled to load the bases, and Joe Satterfield followed with an RBI single to tie the game. Sightler came home on a passed ball, then Brady Allen smacked a three-run dinger to make it 5-1. Two more runs came in for USC in the third, when Sightler knocked a base hit with one out, Wimmer doubled, and Satterfield came through again with another single to bump the score to 7-1.

The Gamecocks really broke things wide open in the next inning. David Mendham walked to lead off, Sightler walked with one out, and an error got Wimmer safely to first and Sightler home. Satterfield followed with yet another RBI single to make the score 9-1, then George Callil singled and so did Allen, bringing in another run and putting Carolina into double digits. Brennan Milone walked after that, then Wes Clarke was safe at first and Callil came home on an error. At that point the Gamecocks batted around and Mendham knocked an RBI single, followed by a three-run homer from Eyster that put the Gamecocks up 16-1. Winthrop got two of those runs back in the bottom of the inning on a flyout by Matt Levenson and a Tyler Baker RBI single that made the score 16-3.

The Eagles got two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, when three walks loaded the bases, then a wild pitch brought in one and Andrew Jenner grounded out to bring in the other and make it 16-5. Both teams had one more round of scoring in them in the ninth. For South Carolina, Noah Myers and Jack Mahoney each got hit by a pitch, Myers later came home on a flyout by Satterfield, then Michael Robinson walked and Milone came through with a 2-run double that put the Cocks up 19-5. For Winthrop, a couple of hit batters put two runners on, then both scored on a double by Luke Hannum, who then came home on a balk.

Sightler, USC’s starter, worked three innings and allowed just three hits and no runs, while also not walking any batters and striking out four. He also got the win and is now 1-0. Daniel Lloyd, Magdiel Cotto, Parker Coyne, Brett Thomas, CJ Weins, Cam Tringali, and Travis Luensmann also took the mound in this game. Eagles starter Dalton Skinner took the loss and is now 2-1. Allen, Sightler, and Satterfield led the Gamecocks at the plate with three hits apiece, while Satterfield tallied five RBI and Allen had four.

South Carolina improves to 7-0 on the season, while Winthrop drops to 3-5. The Gamecocks will be back in action on Friday, when they open up a series against Mercer. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. at Founders Park.