Feb. 9, 2003
Columbia, S.C. – The first three hitters in South Carolina’s batting order drove in nine runs Sunday and the eighth ranked Gamecocks defeated Charleston Southern 11-2 to win the season opening baseball series two games to one.
First baseman Kevin Melillo had a perfect day at the plate with two doubles and a pair of walks and scored four runs. David Marchbanks, 1-0, pitched 7 1/3 string innings to claim the win. Brad Bissell, the winning pitcher in relief Saturday when Charleston Southern upset South Carolina 8-5, was the Buccaneer starter Sunday and took the loss to drop his record to 1-1.
Leadoff batter Bryan Triplett drove in four runs with three hits, including a bases loaded triple. Justin Harris had three RBI with a sacrifice fly and a two run triple, and Brian Buscher drove in two runs with a pair of singles.
Mellilo, limited to one pinch hitting role in the first two games due to an injured ankle, made his first start on Sunday. He walked and scored in the second inning, doubled and scored in the fifth, walked and scored in the sixth, and doubled and scored in the eighth. Melillo had a pinch hit single in Saturday’s game and has reached base in all five of his plate appearances this season.
Freshman outfielder Michael Campbell made his first collegiate plate appearance in the eighth inning and hit a home run on the first pitch. Nick Gardiner had two hits for the Gamecocks and drove in one run. Landon Powell had a double.
Marchbanks allowed five hits, struck out five and walked none. He went to a three ball count on only two batters. Freshman Conor Lalor pitched a hitless inning and freshman Zach Reeves retired the final two Charleston Southern batters in the ninth inning.
Charleston Southern scored twice in the seventh inning to avert a shutout. Adrian Vanderburg was hit by a pitch and scored ahead of a home run by Brian Sole.
South Carolina scored single runs in the first and third innings, two in the fifth, three in the sixth and put the game out of reach with a four run eighth.
CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 000 000 200 – 2-5-0
SOUTH CAROLINA———011 023 00 — 11-13-1
Bissell, Parnell (6), Fasulo (8) and Thacker, Blankenship (7). Marchbanks, Lalor (8), Reeves (9) and Powell. Greenwood (9). W-Marchbanks (1-0). L-Bissell (1-1). Save-None. 2B-USC, Melillo 2, Powell. 3B-USC, Triplett, Harris. HR-CSU, Sole (1), USC, Mi. Campbell (1).
