Pair of homers, Gunther’s strong outing carry South Carolina to Opening Day win

After a down year in 2025, South Carolina’s offense is expected to take a significant step forward this season. Paul Mainieri set out to add more contact, more speed, and most importantly, more power, and on paper, he accomplished exactly that.

The Gamecocks hit just 58 home runs last year, the third-fewest total in the SEC. Addressing that lack of power was a clear offseason priority, and Mainieri attacked it head-on. But it’s only February, which means the ball won’t fly off the bat as often as it will in May and June.

With the wind blowing in Friday afternoon, it looked like it might be a long day for hitters. That changed in the fifth inning.

South Carolina launched two home runs in the frame to break the ice in a 5-2 win over Northern Kentucky in the first game of an Opening Day doubleheader.

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It began immediately when Patrick Evans got a 3-2 pitch up in the zone and drove it for a solo shot to lead off the inning. Then, after Logan Sutter drew a walk to turn the lineup over, Dawson Harman smoked a two-run homer into left to help the Gamecocks (1-0) put up a three-spot.

South Carolina added on in the sixth with back-to-back doubles. Ethan Lizama started the rally, and Talmadge LeCroy followed by driving one into the left-center gap to bring him home.

The two teamed up to add another run in the eighth after Lizama hit a triple into the gap and LeCroy got him in with an RBI single into left. Lizama went 2-for-4 at the plate, while LeCroy had a three-hit day and drove in two runs.

On the mound, Riley Goodman made his first start and looked as advertised, though he only lasted into the fourth. The right-hander, who missed all of last year with Tommy John surgery, struck out five batters and walked two over 3.2 scoreless innings before getting into a bases-loaded jam.

With 70 pitches, Mainieri decided to pull the plug on Goodman’s first outing and turned the ball over to Josh Gunther, who immediately extinguished the threat with a called strikeout and walked off the mound all fired up.

From there, Gunther pitched 4.2 innings of two-run ball with seven strikeouts and one walk. It looked like Mainieri’s plan of Gunther going the rest of the way would work, but that changed in the ninth when he got himself into trouble after loading the bases and allowing a run to score via sacrifice fly. However, Alex Valentin came in out of relief and got two quick flyouts to end it.

Up next: South Carolina will play the second game of Friday’s doubleheader with first pitch at 4:45 p.m. on SEC Network+. Amp Phillips will make his Gamecock debut and get the start on the mound.