Feb. 13, 2004
Columbia, S.C. – Steven Tolleson had three hits, including a two run homer, and Aaron Rawl allowed three hits and one run over six innings Friday as seventh ranked South Carolina opened the 2004 college baseball season with a 3-2 win over Charleston Southern.
The second game of the three game series is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., Saturday, weather permitting, at Sarge Frye Field. The forecast called for rain and cold.
Rawl (1-0) struck out eight and walked two in notching the win.
Jordan Haar homered to lead off the first inning to stake Charleston Southern to a 1-0 lead. Brad Woods followed with a single but was wiped out in a double play. The other hit off Rawl was a third inning single by Billy Dalton. Rawl retired the final 11 batters that he faced.
South Carolina loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the first inning but scored only once. Tolleson doubled, Kevin Melillo walked and Bryan Triplett was hit by a pitch. Tolleson scored on a sacrifice fly by Brendan Winn.
In the fourth inning Michael Campbell singled and scored ahead of Tolleson who hit a home run over the left field fence. Tolleson also had a third inning bunt single to equal his career high with three hits. The sophomore shortstop from Spartanburg also had a busy day defensively with six chances. He and second baseman Melillo turned two double plays.
R. J. Swindle (0-1) allowed six hits and three earned runs in six innings to take the loss. He struck out five and walked two. Bobby Parnell pitched two innings for Charleston Southern and allowed one hit.
Billy Buckner pitched the seventh and eighth innings for South Carolina. He struck out six but allowed the second Charleston Southern run on three hits. The Buccaneers scored in the eighth when Dalton doubled and scored on a single by Haar.
Chad Blackwell pitched the final inning for the Gamecocks and earned his first save. He retired the Bucs in order including two strikeouts. Rawl, Buckner and Blackwell combined to register 16 strikeouts while walking only two.
In addition to the three hits by Tolleson, Campbell had a pair of singles and Triplett had a double and a single to account for all seven South Carolina hits. Haar and Dalton had two hits each and the other Charleston Southern hits were by Woods and Mike Blankenship.
