Feb. 7, 2003
Columbia, S.C. –
Down 7-2 after three and a half innings, eighth ranked South Carolina scored in five consecutive innings Friday to open the collegiate baseball season with a 9-7 victory over Charleston Southern.
The second game of the three game series is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., Saturday at Sarge Frye Field. The series concludes at 1:30 p.m., on Sunday.
Sophomore right-hander Aaron Rawl (1-0) pitched the final three innings. He allowed one hit – a two out ninth inning double — and struck out five to earn the win. Nino Fasulo (0-1) was charged with the loss.
Left-hander R. J. Swindle, the Charleston Southern starter, pitched three shutout innings before the Gamecocks got on the scoreboard with two runs in the fourth followed by one in the fifth and two runs each in the sixth, seventh and eighth.
South Carolina broke a 7-7 tie with two sacrifice flies in the bottom of the eighth inning. Justin Harris was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Brian Buscher singled and Landon Powell walked to load the bases. Harris was forced at the plate on a ground ball by Trey McDaniel. Charleston Southern center fielder Jordan Haar dropped Nick Gardiner’s sacrifice fly with Buscher scoring and Powell advancing to third. Powell scored on a sacrifice fly by Sadry Caf?.
Charleston Southern scored three times in the second inning and four in the fifth. Adrian Vanderburg started the scoring with a leadoff solo home run in the second. Michael Blankenship stole home in the inning. Three hits and two walks scored four Buccaneer runs in the fifth.
South Carolina had 10 hits to nine by Charleston Southern. Harris hit a solo home run for the Gamecocks in the fifth inning and Brian Triplett, Buscher, Gardiner and Hank Parks had doubles. Gardiner had three hits. Buscher and McDaniel had two. Buscher and Parks had two runs batted in.
Blankenship had three of Charleston Southern’s nine hits and six Buccaneers had one hit apiece. Jordan Haar and Billy Dalton had doubles.
Senior left-hander Steve Bondurant was the South Carolina starter but was relieved with no outs in the fifth inning by Chris Hernandez. Bondurant allowed seven hits, walked three, struck out five and was charged with all seven Charleston Southern runs.
CHALESTON SOUTHERN 030 040 000 – 7-9-1
SOUTH CAROLINA – – – – – 000 212 22x – 9-10-0
Swindle, Bissell (6), Fasulo (6) and Thacker. Bondurant, Hernandez (5), Rawl (7) and Powell. W-Rawl (1-0). L-Fasulo (0-1). Save-None. 2B-CSU, Haar, Dalton; USC, Triplett, Buscher, Gardiner, Parks. HR-CSU, Vanderburg (1); USC, Harris (1).
