April 20, 2002
COLUMBIA, SC – Sophomore left-hander David Marchbanks, with bullpen help from senior closer Blake Taylor pitched seventh ranked South Carolina to a 4-2 win over Louisiana State Saturday to even a Southeastern Conference baseball series at one game apiece.
The final game is scheduled for 1:37 p.m., Sunday at Sarge Frye Field. South Carolina improved its record to 30-9, 10-6 in the SEC, while LSU fell to 26-14, 9-7. The Gamecocks remained in first place in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference, half a game ahead of Georgia and Florida. Georgia defeated Kentucky 6-5 and Floride edged Vanderbilt 8-7 Saturday.
Marchbanks pitched 7 2/3 innings, allowed six hits and both LSU runs. He walked one and struck out five to improve his record to 7-2. Taylor earned his SEC leading 10th save. He relieved Marchbanks with a run in, two outs and the tying run at the plate in the eighth inning. Taylor struck out out Sean Barker to end the threat and retired three in the ninth with one walk.
Brian Wilson, 5-3, took the loss. He worked 5 2/3 innings, allowed nine of South Carolina’s 10 hits, four runs of which three were earned. He walked one and struck out eight.
South Carolina led 3-0 after three innings. The Gamecocks scored one in the first on doubles by Drew Meyer and Trey Dyson. A two run home run by Yaron Peters, his 15th of the season, increased the lead to 3-0 in the third inning.
Hits by Matt Heath, Chris Phillips and Jon Zeringue scored the first LSU run in the fifth but South Carolina restored the three run lead in the sixth on a base hit by Landon Powell, an LSU error, and an RBI single by Steve Thomas. A two out single by Aaron Hill and an RBI double by Wally Pontiff scored the final LSU run and brought Taylor in from the bullpen.
Thomas and Brian Buscher had two hits for South Carolina. Buscher stretched his hitting streak to 12 games. Meyer, Thomas, Dyson and Kevin Melillo had doubles. Hill had two of six hits by LSU. He and Pontiff had doubles.
South Carolina played its 19th errorless game of the season.
LOUISIANA STATE 000 010 010 – 2-6-2
SOUTH CAROLINA 102 001 00x – 4-10-0
Wilson, David (6) and Phillips. Marchbanks, Taylor (8) AND Powell. W-Marchbanks (7-2). L-Wilson (5-3). Save-Taylor (10). 2B-LSU, Hill, Pontiff, USC, Meyer, Dyson, Thomas, Melillo. HR-USC, Peters (15)
