Feb. 26, 2005
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina hit six home runs Saturday, two each by Steve Pearce and Brendan Winn, to bury Niagara 19-1 as the fifth ranked Gamecocks improved their season record to 8-0.
Zac McCamie pitched five innings and allowed three hits and one run to improve his record to 3-0.Daniel Griffin, 0-1, took the loss. Niagara dropped to 0-5. The Gamecocks won the Friday game 8-3.
The final game of the three game series is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., Sunday at Sarge Frye Field with sophomore right-hander Conor Lalor, 0-0, the scheduled South Carolina staring pitcher.
The Gamecocks collected 22 hits, led by Pearce who had a perfect five for five day. He had three singles, homered with the bases loaded when South Carolina scored 10 times in the fourth inning, and hit a solo homer in the sixth inning.
Winn matched the five runs batted in by Pearce by hitting a three run home run in the fifth inning and a two run shot in the eighth. He also doubled in the 10 run fourth inning. All seven of Winn’s hits over the first eight games have been for extra bases, five homers and two doubles.
The two homers by Pearce were his first of the season. After missing the first six games due to a suspension and an ankle injury, Pearce has seven hits in nine at bats in two games. He lead the team in bating average, runs batted in a home runs last year when he homered 21 times.
Designated hitter Jon Willard and backup catcher Phil Disher also homered, the second for Willard and first for Disher. Willard’s homer was back to back following the grand slam by Pearce.
In addition to five hits by Pearce and three by Winn, Davy Gregg` and Chris Brown also had three hits in the 22 hit South Carolina attack. Neil Giesler had two hits as every starter in the Gamecock batting order had at least one hit. Eleven Gamecocks hit safely. Michael Campbell and Ian Paxton each had two RBI.
Niagara collected five hits, two of them by designated hitter Michael Medici. Niagara avoided a shutout when Brian Clifford hit a solo home run off McCamie in the fifth inning.
South Carolina scored single runs in the first and second innings and led 2-0 after three before sending 14 batters to the plate in the in the fourth inning. They collected eight hits, two bases on balls, a sacrifice fly and Niagara committed one error as the Gamecocks scored 10 runs.
The Gamecocks also scored three times in the fifth, three in the eighth and a single run in the sixth inning.
