May 11, 2005
Columbia, S.C. – Coach Ray Tanner won his 800th game, Steve Pearce hit two home runs, and South Carolina broke a four game losing streak Tuesday night in a 12-0 weather delayed win over Wofford that was called after seven innings by mutual agreement.
The win improved the Gamecock record to 33-16 while Wofford fell to 17-34. The start of the contest was delayed two hours and 38 minutes due to rain and lightning. The contest ended shortly before midnight.
South Carolina used three pitchers in a pre-determined split with starter Arik Hempy working the first three innings to claim the win, his first of the season. He is 1-0.Hempy allowed no hits, walked three and struck out two. Andy Lambert worked three innings and allowed all three Wofford hits. He struck out three. Wynn Pelzer struck out one in a hitless inning.
Chris Clark, 1-9, allowed 11 hits and eight runs in four innings to take the loss. Wofford used two other pitchers.
Pearce hit a two run first inning homer as South Carolina took a 3-0 lead. His three run homer, his 14th of the season, featured a four run fourth inning . Pearce also had a single in the third inning for a three for four night to lead a 14 hit South Carolina attack. Pearce reached on an error in the fifth inning and scored four runs. He drove in five.
Tanner, who waited through a four game losing streak, second longest in his nine seasons at South Carolina, finally claimed his 800th victory, 405 at South Carolina and 395 in a nine year tenure at North Carolina State, his alma mater. Overall, Tanner is 800-342-3, 404-168 at South Carolina.
Steven Tolleson, Michael Campbell, Chris Brown and Davy Gregg had two hits for South Carolina.
Brown had three runs batted in with a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly. Campbell and Jon Willard had doubles and Campbell had two RBI.
South Carolina scored three runs in the first inning, one in the third and four each in the fourth and fifth.
Wofford’s hits, all allowed by Lambert, included a fourth inning single by Adam Wood, a fifth inning single by Anthony DiNardo, and a sixth inning infield hit by Scott Russell.
South Carolina, which plays five games in six days this week, meets Furman at 7 p.m., Wednesday at Sarge Frye Field. Thursday is a travel day and the Gamecocks open a three game Southeastern Conference series Friday at Mississippi.
