May 7, 2005
Knoxville, Tenn. – A sinking line drive by Chase Headley that eluded center fielder Davy Gregg for a triple scored J. P. Arencibia in the 10th inning Saturday to give Tennessee a 6-5 victory and its second consecutive Southeastern Conference victory over South Carolina.
Game time for the series finale on Sunday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium is set for 2 p.m.
Sean Watson, who saved the Friday night 3-2 Tennessee win, pitched two innings Saturday to improve his season record to 6-3. Brent Marsh, 2-2, was charged with the loss. Tennessee upped its record to 34-14, 14-8 in the SEC, while South Carolina dropped to 32-15, 12-11.
South Carolina starter Zac McCamie was rocked for six first inning runs to trail 5-1 but allowed only two hits over the next eight as he worked nine innings and left with the score tied at 5-5. Tennessee starter Craig Cobb pitched eight innings, allowing seven hits and five runs, before turning over the mound to Watson.
In the bottom of the 10th inning Arencibia singled with one out. Headley hit a line drive to center field and Gregg attempted a diving catch. The ball rolled past him and Arencibia scored from first base to end the game.
After South Carolina took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a leadoff hit by Steven Tolleson who moved to second on a ground out and scored on a single by Steve Pearce, Tennessee struck for five runs in the bottom of the inning.
A one out triple by Eli Iorg was followed by consecutive singles by Arencibia, Headley, Julio Borbon and Eric King. Arencibia drove in one run and King two runs. A sacrifice bunt by Michael Rivera was followed by a two RBI single by Kelly Edmundson. McCamie settled down and over the next eight innings allowed only a fifth inning single by Josh Alley and a ninth inning single by Rivera.
South Carolina scored a fourth inning run when Michael Campbell walked, moved to second on an infield out, and scored on a single by Ryan Mahoney. A three run home run by Neil Giesler, his third of the year, tied the score at 5-5 in the seventh inning. Singles by Brendan Winn and Chris Brown set the stage for Giesler’s high drive over the right field fence.
In his nine innings of work McCamie allowed eight hits, walked one intentionally, and struck out four. In eight innings Cobb allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out one.
Tennessee finished with 10 hits including two by Arencibia and Headley. The triples by Iorg and Headley were the only Vol extra base hits. Mahoney was the only Gamecock with more than one hit. He had two singles. The three run homer by Giesler was the only Gamecock extra base hit.
