No. 6 South Carolina rolls past Ball State, 14-4

No. 6 South Carolina 14, Ball State 4

Eight of nine position starters for South Carolina (10-2) had at least one hit. Joey Pankake went 2 for 3 with two runs and three RBIs. Max Schrock was 3 for 5 with two runs, two RBIs and three stolen bases. Grayson Greiner and George Iskenderian added two hits apiece with Greiner driving in three runs as well.

With a 7-4 lead entering the bottom of the eighth inning, the Gamecocks scored some insurance runs to go ahead by 10 over the Cardinals. Pankake led off with a walk and advanced to third on a double to right field by LB Dantzler that extended his hitting streak to nine games. Schrock would drive in Pankake with a RBI single. Greiner kept it going with a two-run double that was followed by a RBI single up the middle off the bat of Iskenderian, his first career RBI in a Gamecock uniform. Sean Sullivan would drive in two more runs with a double and he eventually scored after advancing twice on wild pitches.

South Carolina had 14 hits for the contest with Ball State finishing with 12 on the afternoon. Sean Godfrey went 3 for 5 with Blake Beemer 2 for 5 to lead Ball State.

South Carolina reliever Patrick Sullivan worked 32/3 innings of relief to earn the win. He allowed one run on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

Ball State starter Clay Manering (0-2) suffered the loss. He allowed six runs on five hits in 2.1 innings with six walks and two strikeouts.

Sophomore center fielder Tanner English had to leave the game in the bottom of the third inning with a right shoulder injury.

South Carolina is back in action on Friday beginning a three-game home series against Rider. First pitch for the opener is 7 p.m. with Saturday’s contest at 4 p.m. and Sunday’s series finale scheduled for 1:30 p.m.