March 16, 2004
Columbia, S.C. – Third ranked South Carolina hit five solo home runs Tuesday night and downed Davidson 10-1 to improve 1ts baseball record to 18-0 in the final tune up before the Gamecocks begin Southeastern Conference play this weekend.
Louisiana State, ranked 1st in one poll and 4th in another comes to Sarge Frye Field Friday through Sunday to begin a 30 game conference schedule.
Steve Pearce and Landon Powell homered back to back in the first inning, the 10th of the season for Pearce and fourth for Powell. Michael Campbell homered twice, in the sixth and seventh innings, to increase his season total to five. Freshman Steven Reinhold hit his first collegiate home run in the eighth inning.
Coach Ray Tanner, using a predetermined pitching split, used seven pitchers in the game with starter Jason Fletcher credited with the win to improve his record to 4-0. Fletcher allowed one hit, walked one and struck out five. Gamecock pitchers registered 11 strikeouts, walked two, and allowed seven hits.
Davidson scored its lone run in the seventh inning when Michael Muniz doubled with one out and Alex Entrekin drove him in with a single. Muniz had three hits and Entrekin had two to account for five of the seven Wildcat hits.
Davidson threatened in the fourth inning when Jay Heafner doubled and Sam Navarro walked. Heafner moved to third on a fielder’s choice but Powell, the South Carolina catcher, picked Heafner off third base to end the threat. The Wildcats had two hits in the ninth inning but left both runners stranded.
Campbell had a double plus his two home runs for a three hit night. Powell drove in two fifth inning runs with a double to have three RBI. Bryan Triplett had two hits and two RBI.
The Pearce and Powell home runs in the first inning marked the fifth time this season that South Carolina players have hit consecutive homers in an inning. The 11 strikeouts were the 12th time Gamecock pitchers have registered 10 or more strikeouts. The pitching staff has 214 strikeouts in 161 innings and has walked only 19.
Campbell has raised his batting average 99 points over the past seven games from .225 to .324. The Gamecocks have hit 40 home runs in 18 games.
