Nick Ebert homered for the second consecutive game and Christian Walker, Adam Matthews and Bobby Haney added homers as well as the USC baseball team defeated Charleston Southern 10-2 on Wednesday night at Carolina Stadium. The Gamecocks are now a perfect 13-0 in midweek games this season.
Carolina is 38-11 on the season while the loss drops Charleston Southern to 17-31 for the year. Now USC will hit the road for a weekend series at Arkansas. First pitch for the series opener on Friday is set for 7:35 p.m. ET. Cox Sports Television will televise the contest.
USC coach Ray Tanner postgame media session
Carolina reliever Jose Mata picked up the win and is now 6-1 for the year. He pitched one perfect inning of relief with a strikeout. CSU starter Charlie McCready suffered the loss and is now 0-6 for the season. He allowed seven runs on nine hits in 2.1 innings of work.
South Carolina broke ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning. Jackie Bradley Jr. singled with one out followed by a base hit by Christian Walker. With two outs, Adrian Morales drilled a RBI single to the gap in left center that scored Bradley.
Carolina increased the advantage to 4-0 in the bottom of the second inning on the backs of a pair of home runs from Adam Matthews and Bobby Haney. With one out, Matthews knocked a solo homer to center field for his fifth home run of the season. After Brady Thomas reached base on a double, Haney unloaded with a two-run homer to right center, his second round tripper of the year.
The long ball continued to be prevalent as Christian Walker and Nick Ebert homered in the bottom of the third inning as Carolina extended the advantage to a 7-0 lead. Walker connected with a solo home run to left center to lead off the bottom of the third. Walker crushed the first pitcher he saw from McCready for his sixth home run of the year. With one out and a runner on base, Ebert crushed a two-run homer to left center for his sixth homer of the year as well.
Nick Ebert postgame interview
South Carolina starting pitcher Tyler Webb was effective with four scoreless innings on the mound. He allowed just three hits and struck out four while walking just one batter.
Carolina increased the lead to 9-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning as Thomas and Whit Merrifield each tallied RBI doubles.
The two teams traded runs in the seventh inning. CSU got on board with a two-out bases loaded walk to Brantley Meier. Bradley delivered a RBI base hit for the Gamecocks. Charleston Southern closed the scoring out in the eighth inning with a solo home run by Matt Still.
Parker Bangs postgame interview
The Gamecocks out-hit Charleston Southern 16-5 in the game. Matthews was 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Thomas finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Ebert and Haney each drove in two runs with Ebert also tallying two hits. Walker and Bradley also collected two hits apiece. Walker owns an eight-game hitting streak.
Meier and Drew Woodall had two hits apiece for Charleston Southern.
