Feb. 20, 2005
Columbia, S.C. – Brendan Winn homered twice, including a grand slam, and Steven Tolleson hit a two run shot Sunday to lead South Carolina to a 7-4 win and a sweep of a three game baseball series with Radford University.
The seventh ranked Gamecocks improved to 6-0 on the season while Radford dropped to 1-5. South Carolina’s next action is a three game series with Niagara beginning Friday at Sarge Frye Field.
The Gamecocks had to battle back from a three run first inning deficit when starting pitcher Forrest Beverly lasted only two thirds of an inning. Andrew Cruse relieved for 5 1/3 innings and earned his first career victory. He allowed four hits, one earned run, walked two and struck out two.
Conor Lalor pitched the final three innings to earn his first save. He retired nine batters in a row, five of them by strikeouts. Mark Fleisher started and pitched six innings for Radford to take the loss and even his record at 1-1.
Steve Mignona, Jesse Ross, John Vellines and Andy Raft singled and Nate Toth was hit by a pitch in the top of the first but, thanks to a double play, only one run was in when Cruse relieved Beverly. Alan Ashworth greeted Cruse with a bases loaded hit that drove in two runs but South Carolina center fielder Michael Campbell threw Toth out attempting to advance to third to end the inning.
South Carolina quickly struck back in the bottom of the first, taking a 4-3 lead on Winn’s grand slam. Fleisher walked Davy Gregg, Campbell and Jon Willard to load the bases and with two outs and a three balls and two strikes count Winn hit a long drive over the left center field fence.
Radford tied the score at 4-4 in the third inning. Ross legged out a triple when Winn slipped and fell on the slick grass chasing a routine hit in right field. The game started 46 minutes late due to a rain delay. Despite the wet turf both teams played errorless baseball and the South Carolina infield turned two double plays.
After Campbell was hit by a pitch with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning Tolleson homered over the left field fence to put South Carolina up 6-4. It was Tolleson’s first home run of the season. Winn closed out the scoring with a solo homer in the sixth inning, his third homer of the year and second of the game.
Radford outhit the Gamecocks 8-5 although the Highlanders managed only three hits after the first inning. Winn’s grand slam was the only Gamecock hit in the four run first inning.
Winn’s two homers, two hits by Tolleson, including a bunt single, and a triple by Willard accounted for all the South Carolina hits. Ross had two of Radford’s eight hits and his triple was the only Highnlander extra base hit.
