Matthew Becker dominates, Gamecocks clinch series with 6-3 win

The Saturday starter pitched into the seventh inning of South Carolina’s 6-3 win over Milwaukee, allowing just two runs on three hits with another eight strikeouts as the Gamecocks clinched the series.

"I feel like I had everything kind of working today," Becker said. "Last week was just a lot of fastballs. The chaneup worked well last week, but the curveball just kind of wasn't there. I feel like I did a better job of just mixing everything, landing the curveball, making them respect it. I really just made one mistake today."

Becker started the day by retiring the first 10 batters he faced, only finally allowing a tough luck baserunner after right fielder Dalton Mashore lost a flyball in the sun for a double. Moments later he allowed an RBI single, the only other hit off of him outside of Gabe Roessler’s sixth inning solo home run.

His offense gave him plenty of room to work early, plating four runs in the second inning. Three consecutive free passes loaded the bases with nobody out for KJ Scobey. The true freshman third baseman was the first one to put the ball in play in the inning, lining a two-run single up the middle to start the scoring.

Next up was Jordan Carrion, the utility infielder who made his first start as a Gamecock today. The Florida State transfer joined the program just before last season, but did not gain eligibility from the NCAA in time to play in 2024. After four appearances either as a defensive replacement or a pinch hitter to start the season, he got the nod at second base and immediately made the decision pay off.

"I'm just really proud of JC," Paul Mainieri said. "To be there and be a good teammate on the bench all the time, and then when your number is called you go out there and play as well as he did, is really tremendous for him."

Carrion lined a base hit to right to score the third run, the first of his two hits in the game. Nathan Hall’s sacrifice fly made it four, enough runs for South Carolina (6-0) to play from ahead all day.

"I was just looking to do my job," Carrion said. "Second and third no outs, I was trying to hit a groundball to second base to get the run in. I ended up getting a changeup up, and I hit it hard."

Ethan Petry finally hit his second home run of the season after a frustrating week of wind and cold weather knocking down hard hit flyouts. There was no doubt about this one, a solo shot out to dead center that clanked off the batter’s eye on the fly.

Becker departed to a standing ovation with one out in the seventh. The senior lefty now has 17 strikeouts and no walks allowed through his first two starts of the season, both wins. The teams traded runs in the late innings when Petry grounded into a bases loaded double play and Milwaukee’s (1-4) Charlie Marion hitting a solo home run in the ninth inning, but there was never a serious threat to the lead. Tuesday’s relief hero Brandon Stone made his first weekend appearance to clean up the final eight outs and clinch the series.

"I really want to get some pitchers that haven't pitched yet into the game like Cooper Parks and Caleb Jones," Mainieri said. "But when the game is on the line, you want to go with the guys that you have the most confidence in because they've proven themselves. Brandon Stone pitched so well earlier this week against Winthrop that we thought he was the right guy to have in the game.

"It's fun to win the games, but I hope one of these days we can blow somebody out so we can get a lot of guys in there."

South Carolina will go for the sweep — and one of those more comfortable wins —at 1:30 p.m. Sunday with Jake McCoy on the mound.

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