March 9, 2002
COLUMBIA, SC –
Garris Gonce drove in three runs Saturday with a home run and a double and Yaron Peters also homered to lead fourth ranked South Carolina to a 6-2 win over Seton Hall.
The Gamecocks will try for a sweep of the three game college baseball series at 1:30 p.m., Sunday at Sarge Frye Field. South Carolina improved its record to 13-2 and Seton Hall dropped to 2-9.
Gary Bell pitched 7 2/3 innings to improve his record to 4-0. He allowed five hits, both Seton Hall runs, walked four and struck out a career high 12. Steven Bondurant earned his first career save when he pitched the Gamecocks out of an eighth inning jam. Seton Hall starter Chris Noonan, 1-3, was the losing pitcher.
South Carolina scored three unearned runs in the first inning. After Drew Meyer reached on an error and Steve Thomas walked, Meyer scored on a ground out by Peters. With two outs, Gonce hit his seventh home run of the season.
The Gamecocks added two runs in the third inning . Meyer singled, stole second and third, and scored on a Gonce double. Gonce scored on a passed ball. A leadoff homer by Peters, his sixth, increased the lead to 6-0 in the fifth inning. Only two of South Carolina’s six runs were earned.
Bell allowed only one hit through six innings, a leadoff single in the fourth by Casey Grimm. The Pirates scored in the seventh on hits by Todd Crawford and Anthony Seratelli wrapped around a wild pitch.
Santiago Chi led off the Seton Hall eighth with a base hit but took a wide turn at first base and was thrown out. Garrett Weir followed with a bunt single and Casey Grimm walked. With two out Chris Hernandez relieved Bell and walked Mike Cust. Bondurant was summoned from the bullpen and ended the threat with one pitch. He retired the Pirates in order in the ninth.
Gonce was the only player in the game with two hits. South Carolina’s defense played its ninth errorless contest in 15 games. Carolina is now 13-0 when scoring a run in the first inning.
SETON HALL 000 000 110 – 2-5-1
SOUTH CAROLINA 302 010 00x – 6-8-0
Noonan, Hoffman (5), Haggerty (7) and Santangelo, Williams (8). Bell, Hernandez (8), Bondurant (8) and Powell. W-Bell (4-0). L-Noonan (1-3). Save-Bondurant (1). 2B-USC, Gonce. HR-USC, Gonce (7), Peters (6)
