May 9, 2014
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COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina junior left-hander Jordan Montgomery worked into the ninth inning and seven of nine Gamecock starters tallied at least one hit as the 11th ranked Gamecocks defeated Missouri 8-2 on Friday evening in the series opener at Carolina Stadium. South Carolina improves to 37-13 and 14-11 in the SEC with Missouri dropping to 20-28 and 6-19 in league play.
Montgomery improved to 7-4 on the year with the win. He allowed two runs on five hits in 8.1 innings of work with a walk and eight strikeouts. Missouri starter Brett Graves suffered the loss and is now 3-5 on the year. He allowed eight runs, six earned, on 11 hits in 4.2 innings with three walks and six strikeouts.
South Carolina’s 12-hit evening included three-hit games from Max Schrock and Joey Pankake. Grayson Greiner added two hits. Josh Lester was 2-for-3 with two runs to lead Missouri.
Schrock would put the Gamecocks ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning with a RBI single. Gene Cone led off the frame with a walk and Marcus Mooney was hit by a pitch with one out to give the Gamecocks a pair of runners. Schrock would drive the first pitch from Graves into right field for a base hit scoring Cone.
Missouri answered with a run in the top of the third to tie the game. Josh Lester led off with a base hit, stole second base and scored on Dylan Kelly’s one-out RBI single up the middle.
Carolina would come back with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-1 lead. Greiner led off with a single and Pankake followed with a base hit to give the Gamecocks a pair of runners. Tanner English would then set down a perfect bunt for a base hit. On the play, Graves attempted to throw out English but his throw sailed into right field allowing Greiner to score. DC Arendas would tally a RBI base hit to score Pankake and a double steal would eventually score English.
That lead extended to 8-1 in the fifth inning with the Gamecocks scoring four more runs with Greiner driving a run in with a double and Gene Cone with the big hit of the inning, a three-run double to clear the bases.
The series continues on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. The game will be televised on SportSouth and can be heard on the Gamecock IMG Network including flagship station, 107.5 FM, “The Game.” Saturday is Senior Day as well with festivities beginning at 3:03 p.m.
