April 16, 2005
Columbia, S.C. – Left-hander Ryan Mullins won a pitchers’ duel of five hitters Saturday when Vanderbilt scored a seventh inning run without hitting the ball out of the infield to break a 1-1 tie before a crowd of 4,785 at Sarge Frye Field.
The 2-1 victory was the second in the series by the Commodores who won the Friday opener 11-3.
Vanderbilt tries for a sweep Sunday with left-hander David Price, 2-1, 1.49 earned run average, set to start against South Carolina right-hander Aaron Rawl, 6-2, 2.79.
Mullins pitched 8 2/3 innings to remain undefeated with his fourth win of the season. Vanderbilt improved to 23-10 and evened its Southeastern Conference record at 7-7. Mullins needed help from closer Ryan Rote for the final out after he walked two Gamecocks in the ninth inning. Rote retired the final Gamecock to earn his fifth save.
Zac McCamie, 7-2, was charged with the loss. He allowed five hits and struck out 10 in 6 1/3 innings. McCamie hit Matt Zeller with a pitch to lead off the seventh. Zeller moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Rucker Taylor and Taylor was safe on a low throw to first by McCamie. Zeller moved to third on a fielder’s choice and scored when Mike Baxter beat out an infield roller.
South Carolina’s run was unearned and came in the second inning. Steve Pearce reached on an error, moved to second on a single by Ryan Mahoney, to third on a fielder’s choice. He scored on a bloop hit to left field by Tommy King.
Tony Mansolino tied the score at 1-1 with his third home run of the season leading off the fourth inning.
South Carolina’s only hits after the second inning were two infield singles in the fifth inning by Davy Gregg and Chris Brown and Gregg was picked off first base by Mullins who also picked Michael Campbell off in the first inning.
Baxter, who doubled in the third inning and had the winning RBI infield single, was the only player on either team with more than one hit.
South Carolina, which lost at Clemson Wednesday night, suffered its first three game losing streak in a year. The Gamecocks lost to Clemson and twice to Kentucky one year ago, April 14, 16-17, 2004. The Saturday loss dropped the South Carolina record to 28-8, 8-6 in the SEC.
