Gamecocks' power surge helps clinch series over Princeton

South Carolina's offensive roll continues.

After nine runs on nine hits Friday, the Gamecocks peppered Princeton pitching for 13 hits as they beat the Tigers 7-3 to clinch the series in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader.

The 13 hits were two shy of a season high set against Charleston Southern.

The Gamecocks (10-5) did not trail in game two, jumping out to a quick lead thanks to a LT Tolbert solo home run to leadoff the team’s half of the second.

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They’d get two more in the third with back-to-back doubles from Noah Campbell and TJ Hopkins, who would ultimately come home on a Madison Stokes single. Hopkins would add two more RBI to his total, hitting a two-run shot in the sixth inning.

Over his last two games he’s hitting .556 with two doubles, a triple and a home run. He’s also driven in four.

It would be a similar situation in the fourth, getting a run on two doubles by Jonah Bride and Chris Cullen.

Bride would finish the game hitting 1-for-4 with a double and run scored. He’d also have six assists defensively, three shy of tying the school record for assists by a third baseman in a game. He's also hit safely now in six straight games.

The top four in the Gamecock order finished hitting 11-for-18 and drove in six of the team's seven runs.

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Starter Cody Morris (3-1) would have a career day, pitching a season-high six innings, which is also tied most innings in a start over his career.

He’d give up just three runs and struck out six, two shy of his career high. He’d leave after giving up a double to leadoff the seventh inning.

Sawyer Bridges and Hunter Lomas closed the game out. Bridges had a shaky outing in his first appearance this week, giving up two hits, walking another and hitting a batter.

Hunter Lomas was the last pitcher used, pitching the last two innings and striking out three.

After inheriting two runners in the eighth, he'd pitch around the jam with back-to-back strikeouts to start and a fielder's choice to end the threat. He pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the ninth to end the game.

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Player of the game: TJ Hopkins continues to swing a hot bat, going 3-for-4 with a walk, double and home run. He drove in three and scored three times as well.

Pivotal play: With two on and no outs, Princeton had a chance to fight back from a four-run deficit. Hunter Lomas would come in and strike out the first two batters he faced and forced a fielder's choice to end the threat.

Up next: South Carolina plays game two of the double header and game three of the series Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Eddy Demurias will start.