March 16, 2007
Columbia, S.C. – Juniors Harris Honeycutt and Curtis Johnson combined on a three-hit shutout as South Carolina opened up SEC play with a 5-0 win over LSU on Friday evening at Sarge Frye Field. Honeycutt tied a season-high with nine strikeouts to improve to 5-0 on the season. Carolina is now 16-2 and 1-0 in the SEC while LSU is 12-8 and 0-1 in conference play. Both teams continue the series on Saturday at 4:07 pm ET at Sarge Frye Field with the game televised on the Jumbo Sports Network and CSS-TV. It can also be heard on the Gamecock Radio Network.
With seven shutout innings, Honeycutt extended his scoreless inning streak to 21 innings. He allowed just three hits and walked only two batters. Johnson pitched two hitless innings for the Gamecocks and struck out four batters while walking one to close the game out for Carolina. LSU starter Charlie Furbush suffered the loss and is now 3-2 on the year. He went 6.1 innings and allowed five runs, three earned on six hits with 10 strikeouts and three walks.
Carolina jumped right out of the gates to take a 1-0 lead in the first inning as leadoff hitter Harley Lail hit a solo home run to left field off Furbush. It was Lail’s second straight homer in as many games. He finished the afternoon 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored.
The game was a pitcher’s duel into the seventh inning as both Honeycutt and Furbush kept each team’s offense at bay. The Gamecocks then struck with a four-run seventh inning. Andrew Crisp led off with a walk and after pinch runner Steven Reinhold was brought in, the Gamecocks put two runners on base with a bunt base hit from Travis Jones. The Gamecocks continued to play small ball and scored their second run on a sacrifice bunt from Reese Havens. On the play, first baseman Jordan Mayer dropped the throw from third baseman J.T. Wise allowing Reinhold to score from second base and giving USC a two-run lead. That was followed by Lail’s RBI fielder’s choice and a RBI double from Trent Kline. Kline also had two hits for the Gamecocks.
Honeycutt is now 13-0 in his career with the Gamecocks and Carolina has now won eight straight contests vs. LSU dating back to the 2004 season. South Carolina will honor its College World Series teams on Saturday afternoon. The pre-game ceremonies are set to begin at 3:50 pm. Former coaches Bobby Richardson and June Raines will throw out ceremonial first pitches with former letterwinners from the College World Series also to be announced in front of the crowd.
