Feb. 21, 2011
By Andrew Kitick
Assistant Media Relations Director
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina opened the 2011 season with a sweep of Santa Clara at Carolina Stadium. The Gamecocks defeated the Broncos 12-5, 2-1 and 6-0 to go to 3-0 on the year. There were great crowds at Carolina Stadium this weekend with two standing room only sellouts on Friday and Saturday (8,242). The Gamecocks finished the weekend with a total attendance of 23,800 with an average of 7,933 for the series.
South Carolina Baseball Notebook
Record: 3-0
SEC: 0-0
Home: 3-0
Away: 0-0
This Week: 3-0
2/18/11 – vs. Santa Clara (W, 12-5)
2/19/11 – vs. Santa Clara (W, 2-1)
2/20/11 – vs. Santa Clara (W, 6-0)
NOTES:
The Gamecocks were strong offensively and defensively as well as on the mound in the three-game sweep of Santa Clara. Carolina hit .352 (31-for-88) as a team with Jackie Bradley Jr. leading the way with a .583 average (7-for-12) with three doubles. Christian Walker was 6-for-12 (.500) with a team-high six RBI. Adrian Morales went 3-for-7 with three runs scored and Scott Wingo and Adam Matthews each were 4-for-10 at the plate. In addition the Gamecocks had 15 walks and five hit by pitches to just 11 strikeouts in three games.
South Carolina’s pitching staff finished the weekend with a 1.67 team ERA and had 25 strikeouts to just eight walks. Santa Clara hit just .198 for the series and scored only six runs against the Gamecocks.
Bradley Jr., a consensus Preseason All-America selection had a stellar weekend at the plate. The highlight was Opening Day when he went 4-for-4 with a homer and three RBI in the 12-5 win. He also had two doubles in the contest to tie a career high for doubles in a game. His on-base percentage was .615. His seven hits for the weekend moves him up to 185 career hits, just 15 short of 200
Walker posted three multi-hit games, as he was 2-for-4 in each victory vs. Santa Clara. Walker homered and drove in three runs in the 12-5 victory and he added three more RBI in Sunday’s 6-0 win over Santa Clara.
Senior infielder Adrian Morales scored a run and tallied a game-winning RBI sacrifice fly in the 2-1 win over Santa Clara. Morales hit .429 (3-for-7) and was hit three times on the weekend as well. He had a .583 on-base percentage.
Junior outfielder Adam Matthews led the team over the weekend in runs scored as he scored five in the three games vs. Santa Clara. Matthews hit .400 (4-for-10) for the series. He tied a career-high with three runs scored in Friday’s 12-5 win.
Sunday’s 6-0 win over Santa Clara featured four Gamecock pitchers hurling a four-hit shutout. Making his first appearance since May 22, 2009, Gamecock left-hander Adam Westmoreland was effective in his start as he hurled 5.2 scoreless innings with just one walk and five strikeouts to lead the way for the Gamecock pitchers. Gamecock reliever Jose Mata would hurl 0.2 scoreless innings to pick up the win. He is now 1-0 for the year. Junior left-hander Logan Munson retired both batters he faced and freshman right-hander Forrest Koumas closed the game out with two scoreless innings and three strikeouts to seal the shutout win for Carolina.
Saturday’s 2-1 victory featured a stellar start from sophomore left-hander Tyler Webb. Webb did not allow an earned run in a career-high six innings of work and after issuing a leadoff walk in the top of the third inning, retired 12 consecutive batters on the way to a win. Webb’s line read six innings, one run, unearned on three hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
Saturday’s win also featured the Gamecock debut of junior left-hander Bryan Harper, who was effective in 1.2 scoreless innings of relief before giving way to sophomore right-hander Matt Price, who hurled 1.1 hitless innings of relief to pick up his first save of the year.
Junior left-hander Michael Roth earned the Opening Day start and went 5.2 innings allowing just two runs in the 12-5 win. Roth tallied a career-high six strikeouts in the victory.
The Gamecocks were very strong defensively fielding .983 on the weekend with just two errors on Opening Day. They went without an error in both Saturday and Sunday’s victories.
Carolina will next host Southern Illinois for a three-game series beginning on Friday, Feb. 25. The Gamecocks own a 2-0 lead in series history vs. the Salukis with a 5-4 win on June 15, 1977 at the College World Series in Omaha and a 12-6 win on Mar. 12, 1984 in a non-conference tilt at Coral Gables, Fla.
Next Week:
2/25/11 – vs. Southern Illinois (3 p.m.)
2/26/11 – vs. Southern Illinois (3 p.m.)
2/27/11 – vs. Southern Illinois (1:30 p.m.)
