March 16, 2003
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Arkansas swept a Southeastern Conference baseball doubleheader from South Carolina, 2-1 and 4-1, to win the series two games to one as Razorback right-hander Jarrett Gardner pitched a complete game in the second contest.
Arkansas improved its record to 16-2, 2-1 in the SEC while sixth ranked South Carolina dropped to 15-5, 1-2. Arkansas is ranked 27th by Collegiate Baseball. The teams played two seven inning games because the scheduled game on Saturday was postponed by rain.
Gardner allowed four hits and one unearned run to win the second game and improve his record to 3-0. Aaron Rawl, in relief of starter Matt Campbell, took the loss to drop his record to 4-1. The winning pitcher in the first game was Clint Brannon, 1-0, who worked 5 2/3 innings. David Marchbanks, 4-1, took the loss. Jay Sawatski earned his first save.
Arkansas broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the top of the seventh and final inning of the second game. Clay Goodwin singled to open the inning and was forced by pinch hitter Scott Bridges. Pinch hitter Brady Toops singled, advancing Bridges to third. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Scott Hode to break the tie. Nick Pitts then hit a home run, his second of the season, for the final two runs.
Arkansas took a 1-0 first inning lead in the second game when Brett Hagedorn homered with one out, his first of the year. South Carolina tied it with an unearned run in the third. Justin Harris singled and moved to third base when Arkansas second baseman Hagedorn booted a potential double play ball by Jon Coutlangus. Harris scored on a sacrifice fly by Kevin Melillo.
Arkansas scored both of its first game runs in the third innings. With two out Hagedorn drove in Jason Pyle and Scott Hode with a base hit. Pyle had walked and Hode had singled. South Carolina scored its run in the fifth inning. Bryan Triplett singled, moved to second when Demetric Smith walked, to third on a fly out, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Steven Tolleson.
Triplett, with two hits in each game, and Brian Buscher, who had a double in the first game and a single in the second, accounted for six of the seven South Carolina hits in the two games. The Gamecocks were limited to three hits in the first game and four in the second. Arkansas had seven hits in each game.
Goodwin had two hits in each game for Arkansas. Nick Pitts had three hits, one in the first and two in the second game.
Buscher extended his current hitting streak to nine games. He opened the season with a 10 game hitting streak and has had at least one hit in 19 of the first 20 games.
First GameARKANSAS 000 020 0 - 2-7-0SOUTH CAROLINA 000 010 0 - 1-3-0Brannon, Hall (6), Sawatski (7) and Toops. Marchbanks, Hernandez (6) and Powell. W-Brannon (1-0). L-Marchbanks (4-1). Save-Sawatski. 2B-UA, Goodwin; USC, Buscher.
Second GameARKANSAS 100 000 3 - 4-7-1SOUTH CAROLINA 001 000 0 - 1-4-0Gardner and Kindle, Toops (7). Ma. Campbell, Rawl (6) and Powell. W-Gardner (3-0). L-Rawl (4-1). Save-None. 2B-USC, Triplett. HR-UA, Hagedorn (1), Pitts (2).
