For a moment, it looked like maybe South Carolina would get out of its funk and start the weekend off strong. Two batters into Thursday’s game Ethan Petry blasted a solo homer into left centerfield, silencing the Tennessee crowd. But that lead wouldn’t last very long. Tennessee’s offense came out firing on all cylinders and would never relinquish its lead after the third inning. The top-ranked Vols rolled to a 9-3 win over the No. 24 Gamecocks (33-19, 13-15 SEC) in the series opener in Knoxville. [GamecockCentral for $1: In-depth coverage and a great community] Only two pitches into his outing…