April 22, 2003
Columbia, S.C. – Seven strong innings by starting pitcher Matt Campbell and home runs by Landon Powell. Michael Campbell and Kevin Melillo paced South Carolina Tuesday night to a 5-1 win over UNC Asheville in a non-conference baseball game.
The win was the 300th in his seventh season at South Carolina for Coach Ray Tanner. His record with the Gamecocks 300-128.
Matt Campbell improved his record to 2-3. He allowed seven hits, walked three and struck out six. The only run he allowed was a third inning home run by Daniel Pruitt that staked UNC Asheville to an early 1-0 lead. South Carolina improved its record to 26-15 and UNC Asheville dropped to 17-19.
Brad Beck, 1-4, took the loss despite giving up just three hits in 6 2/3 innings. However, he walked five, hit two batters and left the game trailing 2-1. Only one run off him was earned.
South Carolina meets Davidson at 7 p.m., Wednesday at Sarge Frye Field before departing for a weekend Southeastern Conference series at Mississippi.
The Gamecocks tied the score in the fourth inning on a solo home run by Powell, his second of the season and first in in 35 games. The junior catcher also made two outstanding defensive plays, picking a runner off second base in the second inning to snuff out a Bulldog threat and catching another in a stolen base attempt in the eighth inning.
South Carolina was out hit by UNC Asheville 8-6 and had only three hits over the first seven innings but led 2-1 on an unearned run scored in the fifth inning. Asheville first baseman Bill Carley dropped a pop fly by Jon Coutlangus for an error. Coutlangus was sacrificed to second and scored on a base hit by Justin Harris.
The Gamecocks broke the game open with three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Pinch hitter Matt Riddle doubled off relief pitcher Gary Kohler and Michael Campbell followed with his fifth home run of the season. Granville Gehris came on to pitch for Asheville and was greeted by the sixth homer of the year for Melillo to end the scoring for the night.
South Carolina’s six hits were by six different players. Robert Rudder had three of the eight hits by UNC Asheville and Grant Rembert had two.
