March 13, 2010
| Coach Tanner |
| Parker Bangs |
| Jay Brown |
| Whit Merrifield |
| Blake Cooper |
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina scored seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and senior reliever Jay Brown allowed just one run in 4.1 innings of relief work to earn his first victory of the year as the Gamecocks defeated Brown 10-7 game two of a college baseball doubleheader at Carolina Stadium. The Gamecocks swept the doubleheader against the Bears and are now 10-4 on the season with Brown 1-5 on the year. The series finale is set for 1:30 p.m. on Sunday and will be broadcast live on GamecocksOnline.com and the Gamecock Radio Network.
Trailing 6-2 entering the bottom of the fourth inning, the Gamecocks sent 10 batters to the plate and broke ahead with seven runs to take a 9-6 lead. Brady Thomas singled to open the inning and scored on Adam Matthews’ RBI double. That was followed up by another RBI hit as Robert Beary roped a triple to left center for the second run of the inning. Christian Walker kept the momentum going as he drove in Beary with RBI sacrifice fly. Scott Wingo would walk with one out followed by a single by Whit Merrifield and a RBI base hit from Adrian Morales. Pinch hitter Jeffery Jones added a two-run single and Nick Ebert closed out the scoring with RBI sacrifice fly that saw Whit Merrifield score all the way from second base, as Ebert just missed a home run to deep left centerfield.
The 9-6 lead was enough for Brown, who entered the game in the top of the fifth and settled in with a strong 4.1 innings of relief. He would yield just one run, a solo homer in the seventh inning and struck out four and walked none to earn the victory. He is 1-0 on the year. Gamecock reliever Michael Roth came on in relief in the top of the ninth and recorded the final out to earn his second save of the season. Brown starter Will Weidig suffered the loss and is 0-2 on the year. He allowed nine runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and three walks in defeat. He is 0-2 for the season.
Each team had 11 hits in game two of the doubleheader. Merrifield, who had his hitting streak snapped at 26 games in game one, started a new streak with a 2-for-5 day at the plate with two runs scored and two RBI. Adrian Morales, Brady Thomas and Adam Matthews also had two hits as well. One of the craziest days at the plate involved Gamecock infielder Scott Wingo, who made eight plate appearances in both games of the doubleheader but had just one official at bat. Wingo walked five times, was hit by a pitch and also had a sacrifice bunt. His hit by pitch also set a school record as it was his 35th of his career, besting the previous mark of 34 set by Michael Campbell (2003-04-05-06) and Garris Gonce (2001-02). Brown tallied three home runs in the game with Pete Greskoff, Mike DiBiase and Josh Feit all tallying two hits apiece to lead the Bears.
The Bears went ahead 1-0 in the top of the second inning. Ryan Zrenda was hit by a pitch with one out and Cody Slaughter reached base on a fielding error by second baseman Adrian Morales. The Bears would then score as Josh Feit knocked a RBI base hit to right field scoring Zrenda. They increased the lead to 3-0 in the third inning as Mike DiBiase drilled a two-run homer to right field, his first round tripper of the season.
South Carolina answered with a two-run homer of its own as Whit Merrifield connected with a two-run homer to right field off of Weidig. It marked Merrifield’s third home run of the season. After a walk to Scott Wingo to open the inning, Merrifield drilled a 1-0 pitch opposite field to cut Carolina’s deficit to one run. Brown scored three runs in the fourth inning including a two-run homer from Feit.
South Carolina sophomore outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. had to leave the game in the fourth inning after sustaining a cut to his left thumb that required a pair of stiches. Bradley suffered the cut in the bottom of the third while sliding into second base. He is out for an indefinite period.
