Feb. 22, 2009
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina freshman outfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a three-run homer and junior catcher Justin Dalles added a two-run double as the Gamecocks defeated Duquesne 8-4 on Sunday afternoon at Carolina Stadium. South Carolina improves to 2-0 while the loss drops the Dukes to 0-2. Carolina will go for the sweep on Monday in the final game of the series with first pitch at noon. Live video broadcast and scoring is available at GamecocksOnline.com.
Carolina held a 5-4 lead going into the bottom of the seventh inning before Dalles and junior shortstop Bobby Haney sparked a three-run frame. With two outs and runners on first and second, Dalles roped a double off the left field wall that scored DeAngelo Mack and Scott Wingo. Dalles would score the third run of the inning off of Haney’s double to give Carolina an 8-4edge.
The four-run lead would be enough for the Gamecocks as senior left-hander Alex Farotto settled in to close the game out. Farotto pitched 2.1 scoreless and struck out two batters to earn a save. Senior right-hander Curtis Johnson picked up the victory after going two innings and allowing two runs on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks in relief. Sunday’s game marked Johnson’s first appearance since March 25, 2008 vs. Furman when he suffered an injury to his right arm.
Bradley, Jr. and junior shortstop Bobby Haney both recorded three hits to lead the Gamecocks at the plate. Anthony Manley was 2-for-4 with two RBI for Duquesne.
Carolina jumped ahead 4-0 in the first two innings against Dukes starter Ryan Juran. The Gamecocks followed a similar script to Opening Day with Whit Merrifield scoring on a two-out RBI single off the bat of Parker Bangs in the bottom of the first inning. Bradley, Jr. then knocked a three-run homer to right field in the second inning to give Carolina its four-run cushion.
Duquesne would score two runs in the top of the fifth with a RBI sacrifice fly from Andrew Heck and a base hit by Derek Fallecker. South Carolina scored a single run in the bottom of the sixth with Merrifield driving in Haney. Duquesne scored its final two runs in the top of the seventh on a two-run single by Manley. The Dukes threatened to take a lead loading the bases before Farotto got the final out of the frame on a fly ball to right field off the bat of Mike Carroll to end the inning and preserve a one-run Carolina lead.
South Carolina freshman left-hander Nolan Belcher allowed just one run on two hits in four innings of work. He struck out four and walked four. Both teams stranded several chances to score in the game with Duquesne leaving 15 on base and Carolina leaving nine on base.
