May 9, 2004
Auburn, Ala. – Brendan Winn drove in four runs with a pair of home runs and Zac McCamie cooled off the red hot Auburn offense Sunday as South Carolina rallied to a see saw 12-11 win to take a Southeastern Conference baseball series two games to one.
McCamie pitched 4 2/3 shutout innings after Auburn had rocked the Gamecocks for 14 hits and 11 runs through the first five. McCamie allowed just two base runners, an infield hit by Josh Bell and a walk to Chuck Jeroloman and both were wiped out by two of three Gamecock double plays.
McCamie improved his record to 4-0 and the loss went to Jared Shore, 0-1, the fourth of six Auburn pitchers. Sixth ranked South Carolina improved its overall record to 34-13, 13-11 in the SEC. Auburn, ranked 20th, dropped to 30-19, 10-14, despite out hitting the Gamecocks for the third consecutive game. Auburn finished with 15 hits Sunday to 13 by the Gamecocks. South Carolina scored its first nine runs with two outs.
Steven Register, making his first career start after 68 Auburn relief appearances over three seasons, lasted 4 2/3 innings and was charged with seven earned runs on six hits and a pair of walks. He gave up a two run first inning homer to Landon Powell and both Winn homers, a solo shot in the fourth and a three run job in the fifth that sent Register to the showers. The two long ones raised Winn’s season home run total to 16. Powell hit his 14th.
After the Powell homer staked South Carolina to a 2-0 first inning lead Auburn struck for five runs in the second inning off Gamecock starter Arik Hempy. The Tigers batted around with six hits in the inning. Mike Hnytka had a two run double, one of his three hits in the game. Ben Sprague, Derek San and Tug Hulett also drove in runs during the inning.
The Auburn lead rose to 7-2 in the third inning when the Tigers scored twice on two hits and two hit batters. A line smash off Hempy’s arm deflected to shortstop Steven Tolleson who turned a double play to prevent further damage but Hempy was forced to leave the game.
Winn’s first homer and an RBI double by Ryan Mahoney plated two South Carolina runs in the fourth inning but Auburn scored one in the bottom of the inning to lead 8-4. South Carolina took a 9-8 lead in the top of the fifth with five runs on only two hits. Three walks, an error and Winn’s second homer of the game figured in the scoring.
Auburn quickly regained the lead with three runs in the bottom of the fifth on a three run home run by Clete Thomas, his third of the year and Auburn’s first of the series. South Carolina homered seven times in the three games, three of them by Winn.
McCamie relieved Cliff Donald with one out and the Gamecocks trailing 11-9 in the bottom of the fifth. McCamie shut the door and South Carolina scored three times in the top of the sixth to gain the lead for good, 12-11.
A walk, back to back doubles by Steven Tolleson and Powell, and an RBI single by Michael Campbell accounted for the winning rally.
South Carolina faces a busy week with five games scheduled. The Gamecocks travel to Fort Mill to meet North Carolina Tuesday night in the Charlotte Knights park. That game will make up one rained out earlier this season. The Gamecocks play at The Citadel Wednesday night and return to Sarge Frye Field Friday through Sunday to meet Tennessee in a Southeastern Conference series.
