Gamecocks Dominate Sacred Heart 8-0 to Complete Weekend Sweep

In a commanding display of pitching, South Carolina’s staff wrapped up their season-opening weekend with an 8-0 victory over Sacred Heart on Sunday, completing the series sweep and marking a perfect debut for new head coach Paul Mainieri. The Gamecocks’ four pitchers combined for a two-hit shutout, showcasing their dominance throughout the series.

Sophomore left-hander Jake McCoy set the tone early, delivering five no-hit innings while striking out nine and walking just one. His efficient 78-pitch outing highlighted the Gamecocks’ consistent pitching prowess, which had been on full display all weekend.

The score remained 0-0 until the third inning when Will Tippett reached base on an error and used aggressive baserunning to move to third. Nathan Hall then brought him home with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring the first run of the game without a hit.

Sacred Heart starter Ryan Parker kept his team in the game for four innings, giving up just two hits and one run. However, the Gamecocks’ offense began to pull away in the fifth when Kennedy Jones was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in another run.

The game was effectively sealed in the sixth inning. After Blake Jackson hit an RBI double to right field, scoring Tippett to make it 3-0, Nathan Hall delivered a crushing three-run homer over the left field wall, extending the lead to 6-0.

Zach Russell, making his collegiate debut, left an unforgettable mark on the game. The freshman, who made the transition from shortstop at West Ashley High School, struck out all four batters he faced in relief of McCoy. Sacred Heart wouldn’t record a hit until the seventh inning when Tim McGuire doubled off reliever Ashton Crowther, and their only other hit came in the ninth, an infield single by Alex Ungar. By the end, the Gamecock pitching staff had racked up 15 strikeouts.

South Carolina’s offense continued to pile on the runs in the eighth. Ethan Petry, a preseason All-American, hit an RBI triple to right-center field, and Jones followed with an RBI single, pushing the score to 8-0. Despite just six hits, the Gamecocks capitalized on three Sacred Heart errors and eight walks to keep constant pressure on the Pioneers’ pitching staff.

While Sacred Heart may not have posed the toughest challenge of the season, sweeping the opening weekend is no small feat—especially when several SEC programs, including Texas, Auburn, Kentucky, Missouri, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt, all dropped games to begin their seasons.

The sweep marks an ideal start for Mainieri in his first season with the Gamecocks, who now sit at 3-0. The weekend showcased strong pitching, timely hitting, and aggressive baserunning—traits that will likely define Mainieri’s style moving forward. The Gamecocks demonstrated their ability to take extra bases and steal bags, furthering the sense that this team could be dangerous as SEC play approaches.

Looking at the pitching stats for the weekend, the Gamecocks’ starting staff—led by Matthew Becker, Dylan Eskew, and McCoy—finished the series with an impressive 27 strikeouts, a sign of their ability to dominate on the mound.

South Carolina will aim to keep the momentum going when they face Winthrop on Tuesday, a game that will provide another opportunity to build on what’s already been a dominant start to the season. While this was a series they were expected to win, the manner in which they secured the sweep, particularly with their dominant pitching, suggests the Gamecocks could have the tools needed for a successful SEC campaign.