May 17, 2011

Box Score | Quotes

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Second ranked South Carolina batted around in the fifth inning to score five times on the way to a 9-5 victory over UNC Asheville on Tuesday evening at Carolina Stadium in non-conference action. South Carolina is now 42-11 on the year with the loss dropping Asheville to 15-34 for the season.

Tied at 2-2, the Gamecocks made their move in the fifth inning. After loading the bases with one out, Christian Walker was walked to put the Gamecocks up a run. With the bags still full, Jake Williams drilled a two-run double to left field that was followed up by a two-run double by Adrian Morales. After allowing three unearned runs in the top of the seventh, Carolina scratched across a pair of runs in the seventh inning with Williams tallying a RBI single on his fourth hit of the game and Robert Beary driving in a run as well with a single to give South Carolina a 9-5 lead.

Williams was 4-for-5 with four RBI to lead Carolina at the plate. His four RBI is a new career-high with four hits tying a career-high he set earlier in the year at Mississippi State. Morales had two hits and two RBI and Beary also drove in two runs as well. For the second time this season, the Gamecocks did not strike out one time.

Gamecock reliever Tyler Webb went two innings and allowed two hits and three unearned runs while striking out two batters to earn the win. He is now 3-1 on the year. Jose Mata earned his first save with 2.1 scoreless innings of work. UNC Asheville starting pitcher David Ricker suffered the loss and is now 1-2 on the year. He allowed five runs, four earned, on five hits in 4.1 innings with two walks.

UNC Asheville broke ahead 1-0 in the top of the first inning with an unearned run. Jordan Lurie reached base on a throwing error by Scott Wingo and after a wild pitch scored on Mike Vaughn’s two-out RBI single. Carolina tied it at 1-1 with an unearned run of its own in the bottom half of the first. Peter Mooney walked to lead off and with two outs went from second to third on a passed ball. Jake Williams ripped a RBI single to left field then to score Money.

The two teams traded runs again in the fourth inning. Grant Gajdosz was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame for Asheville with Cody Buch reaching on a two-out walk and a single by Catlin Carter loading the bases. Gajdosz would score on a RBI walk to Ian Graham. Carolina tied it in the bottom half as Jake Williams reached base with his second hit of the game, a single and advanced to third Adrian Morales’ single. Robert Beary would drive in Williams with a RBI sacrifice fly to left field tying the game at 2-2.

South Carolina heads on the road to Alabama for a three-game series in the final weekend of the regular season. First pitch for the opener is on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Friday’s game is also at 7:30 p.m. ET. Saturday’s game is set for 1 p.m. ET and will be televised on CSS including Time Warner Cable Channel 506 in Columbia, S.C. All three games can also be heard on the Gamecock Radio Network.