Paul Mainieri had a message for his team last night.
"I sent a text message to the team last night," he said. "There is no way we are losing on Ray Tanner Day. So just get your minds ready for this game."
Message received, and answered.
On a day more about a South Carolina baseball family reunion of sorts than the actual performance on the diamond, the Gamecocks still turned in a very solid one.
South Carolina pounded out a 14-0 win in game two against Sacred Heart, clinching the season-opening series with a run rule victory.
Before the game, the university officially dedicated the field at Founders Park to Tanner in a brief ceremony. Joined by his family, Athletics Director Jeremiah Donati, university president Dr. Michael Amiridis and around 85 of his former players and assistant coaches, Tanner accepted a commemorative home plate celebrating the day and of course saw “Ray Tanner Field” forever etched behind home plate.
"I just thought it was wonderful for Ray," Mainieri said. "It's just awesome. You just witness a small portion of the lives that Ray Tanner impacted during his career. To see the love that his players have for him today was wonderful."
Once the game started, it was a pitching performance anyone on Tanner’s great teams would have been proud of. Senior Matther Becker took the ball and picked up right where Dylan Eskew left off yesterday. Becker struck out six of the first nine batters he faced and fanned nine in the game, only allowing one hit on an infield chopper that tipped off his glove in the second inning. He also did not issue any free passes, meaning he faced one batter over the minimum when he departed with an 11-0 lead after five innings.
"Opening weekend nerves are high even for someone who has done it for four years like me," Becker said. "First pitch, threw a strike, nerves went away. Now I feel like it's just about building on that one today, win the one tomorrow and focus on next week."
On a similarly chilly and overcast day to the one that made carrying fly balls tough for hitters yesterday, South Carolina (2-0) again resorted to nickel and diming its way to runs. The Gamecocks took advantage of three walks by Sacred Heart (0-2) starter Elijah Foster, cashing them in for three runs in the first inning on a Talmadge LeCroy bases loaded walk, a Nolan Nawrocki sacrifice fly and a run off a wild pitch for the second day in a row.
The Gamecocks added two more runs aided by two Sacred Heart errors in the third, and completely blew the game open with a six-run frame in the fourth. As usual, Ethan Petry delivered the biggest blow when he laced a two-run double into the gap in right-center.
Nine different Gamecocks recorded at least one hit and 10 knocked in a run, while the lineup also battled out 11 walks with a patient plate approach. The decisive score allowed Mainieri to get several depth players their first action of the season, including newcomers.
True freshman Beau Hollins and Gavin Braland both picked up hits and scored runs in their first career action, and JUCO transfer Jase Woita had a two-run single in his first at-bat as a Gamecock. Freshman reliever Ryder Garino took the baton from Becker, and eased into his collegiate career with a low leverage outing. Garnio struck out four batters and officially put the series in the win column.
"The really great thing about today was we were able to play a lot of guys," Mainieri said. "You have a starting lineup, but then you have other guys that work just as hard as the starters do every day, and it's a wonderful thing when you get them an opportunity to play some. So many of those guys came off the bench and swung the bat well."
South Carolina will go for the sweep at noon tomorrow with sophomore left-hander Jake McCoy scheduled to start.
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