March 31, 2002
COLUMBIA, SC – Junior left-hander Steve Bondurant pitched his first career complete game around a 40 minute weather delay Sunday and third ranked South Carolina scored two seventh inning runs to edge fifth ranked Alabama 4-3 and win the Southeastern Conference series two games to one.
Bondurant improved his record to 4-0 as South Carolina moved to 23-6 overall and 6-3 in the SEC. Relief pitcher Taylor Tankersley, 3-2, took the loss for Alabama which fell to 23-5, 6-3.
The score was tied with one out in the top of the seventh inning when lightning followed by heavy rain halted play for 40 minutes. When play was resumed the first batter that Bondurant faced, Beau Hearod, hit his sixth home run of the season and Alabama took a 3-2 lead.
In the bottom of the inning Landon Powell led off with a double and Tankersley relieved Alabama starter Jared Woodward. Jon Coutlangus greeted Tankersley with a double that tied the score. Coutlangus moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Drew Meyer and scored on a sacrifice fly by Yaron Peters, his 44th run batted in this season.
Alabama reached Bondurant for three eighth inning hits but the Gamecock defense bailed the left-hander out. Allen Rice led off with his second double of the game but was doubled off second base when Justin Harris speared a line drive by Scott McClanahan and stepped on the bag. Travis Garner and Peter Stonard followed with base hits but Alabama cleanup batter Jeremy Brown grounded out to shortstop Meyer to end the threat.
Bondurant retired the Crimson Tide in order in the ninth inning.
McClanahan led off the first inning with his second home run and Alabama took a 1-0 lead which expanded to 2-0 in the third inning. Adam Pavkovich singled, moved around to third on a sacrifice and a wild pitch, and scored on a ground out by McClanahan.
South Carolina got one run back in the bottom of the third on an Alabama error and an RBI single by Meyer. The Gamecocks tied it in the fifth when Landon Powell walked and Coutlangus singled. Both runners moved a base on a sacrifice, and Powell scored on an error.
The win gave South Carolina its third consecutive series win by a 2-1 margin. The others were over Mississippi State and Florida.
Alabama had nine hits to seven for the Gamecocks but the Tide committed two errors while South Carolina played errorless defense and turned three double plays. Bondurant struck out seven and walked only one in his initial complete game.
Coutlangus was the only Gamecock with two hits. He, Harris and Powell had doubles. Hearod and Rice had two hits for Alabama. Both of Rice’s hits were doubles.
ALABAMA 101 000 100 – 3-9-2
SOUTH CAROLINA 001 010 20x – 4-7-0
Woodward, Tankersley (7), Reed (7) and Brown. Bondurant and Powell. W-Bondurant (4-0). L-Tankersley (3-2). Save-None. 2B-UA, Rice 2, USC, Harris, Powell, Coutlangus. HR-UA, McClanahan (2), Heaqrod (6).
