COLUMBIA, SC—South Carolina rallied for four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to claim an 8-6 win on Wednesday night over Winthrop at Founders Park.
Winthrop is now 5-7 on the season while South Carolina improves to 9-5.
A crowd of more than 6,500 were on hand as the seventh-ranked Gamecocks fell behind 4-0 in the top of the first, but chipped away at the lead until they were able to tie the game on a leadoff solo home run to right field in the eighth inning by designated hitter Alex Destino off Eagle reliever
Riley Arnone. USC took advantage of a double by Jonah Bride, a hit batter, followed by a throwing error by Arnone that plated the seventh run. The final run scored on a wild pitch by Winthrop reliever
Reece Green.
Babe Thomas, who went 3 for 4 on the night, had the big blow in the Eagles' first inning as he smacked a bases-loaded triple off Gamecock starter Brandon Murray that scored
Mitch Spires,
Anthony Paulsen and
Hunter Lipscomb.
Grant English followed with an RBI single that scored Thomas.
USC got one run back in the bottom of the inning off Eagle starting pitcher
Dalton Whitaker when T.J. Hopkins drew a leadoff walk, advanced to third on a single by L.T. Tolbert, and scored on a sacrifice fly Riley Hogan. Winthrop made it a 5-1 game in the third when Thomas singled to lead off the inning and scored on a double by C.J. Hicks.
The Gamecocks made it a 5-3 game with two runs in the bottom of the fourth off Eagle reliever Daniel Wilcutt when Chris Cullen drilled a two-run HR to left. Winthrop took a 6-3 lead in the fifth inning after Thomas singled again to lead off the inning, moved to second when English was hit by a pitch and scored on a base hit by
Wesley Williams.
South Carolina cut into the lead with a single run in the seventh on a two-out RBI single by Hogan that drove in Hopkins who had doubled to right field.
Reed Scott got credit for the win to even his record at 1-1 while Arnone (1-1) suffered the loss.
Winthrop will be home this weekend to face Canisius in a three-game series.
