March 12, 2003
Columbia, S.C. – A three run seventh inning home run by pinch hitter Jared Greenwood and two sterling defensive plays by third baseman Brian Buscher Wednesday night sparked sixth ranked South Carolina to a 5-2 non-conference win over Western Carolina.
Freshman right-hander Conor Lalor pitched 6 2/3 innings to improve his record to 3-0 and Aaron Rawl came on in the ninth inning to snuff out a Catamount rally with a double play ball to Buscher to earn his second save of the season. Brandon McDowell, 2-1, was charged with the loss.
South Carolina improved its record to 14-3 and Western Carolina, which had won 10 of its previous 11 games, fell to 11-7 overall.
South Carolina led 2-1 with one out in the seventh inning when Greenwood, a sophomore backup catcher, pinch hit for designated hitter Sadry Caf? after bases on balls had put Tim Seaton and Bryan Triplett on base. With a two ball and one strike count Greenwood lofted a long opposite field drive over the left centerfield fence to increase the Gamecock lead to 5-1. It was his first collegiate career homer.
A base hit by Wayne Kilmer and two South Carolina errors produced the second Western Carolina run in the ninth inning off relief pitcher Zach Reeves and Rawl replaced Reeves with one out, two runners on base and Denver Edick at the plate as the potential tying run. Edick hit a ground ball to third base that Buscher speared and started a game ending double play.
Buscher also made a run saving defensive play in the sixth inning. With one out and runners at first and third base Buscher made a diving stop of a hard ground ball by Todd Roper. He faked a throw to first and caught Alex Gary off third for the second out of the inning and Lalor pitched out of the inning without giving up a run.
Buscher also had half of South Carolina’s six hits. His first inning single drove in Justin Harris, who had led off with a double, with the first Gamecock run. Buscher also singled in the fourth and sixth innings but was picked off first base twice. Buscher has hit safely in 16 of 17 games this season, including the last six.
South Carolina’s other hit was a fifth inning bunt single by Jon Coutlangus which moved Triplett to third base and he scored on a ground out by Harris. Triplett had walked and moved to second on a wild pitch.
Western Carolina also had six hits, including two infield singles by Alex Gary. Edick had a bloop single in the second inning, Todd Buchanan and Rod Golston had clean singles in the seventh when Western Carolina scored its first run, and Wayne Kilmer led off the ninth with a single and scored the second WCU run.
South Carolina’s pitching staff has not allowed an extra base hit in the past three games.
