March 20, 2005
Columbia, S.C. – Freshman right-hander Shaun Seibert limited South Carolina to two hits in seven innings Sunday and Danny Hamblin and Jake Dugger provided the offense with home runs as Arkansas defeated the Gamecocks 5-3 to take the opening Southeastern Conference series two games to one.
Seibert improved his record to 3-0 with the win before a crowd of 4,527 at Sarge Frye Field and Arkansas raised its record to 18-2 overall, 2-1 in the SEC. South Carolina dropped to 17-3, 1-2.
Trey Holloway halted a ninth inning South Carolina rally to earn his fourth save. Freshman right-hander Wynn Pelzer, the South Carolina starter, was charged with the loss. His record dropped to 1-1.
Pelzer pitched three hitless innings but a single by Casey Rowlett that stretched his hitting streak to 19 games, a walk and Hamblin’s three run homer in the fourth inning staked Arkansas to a 3-0 lead and knocked Pelzer out of the game. The homer was Hamblin’s third of the season.
Senior right-hander Jason Fetcher retired the first 15 Arkansas batter that he faced in relief of Pelzer but, after South Carolina had scored an unearned run in the sixth inning and an earned run in the eighth to cut the Arkansas lead to 3-2 Rowlett singled in the top of the ninth inning and Dugger followed with his fifth home run.
The two extra runs were needed. Jon Willard led off the bottom of the ninth with a base hit and Holloway replaced Razorback relief pitcher Daryl Maday. Michael Campbell greeted Holloway with a single to right field sending pinch runner Joey Friddle to third. Campbell moved to second and Friddle scored as Brendan Winn grounded out but Holloway retired the next two Gamecocks to end the game.
With one out Steven Tolleson was hit by a pitch in the sixth, inning and moved to second on a passed ball. Tolleson scored on a two out hit by Steve Pearce. In the Gamecock eighth, pinch hitter Mark Stanley doubled, moved to third on a bunt and scored on a base hit by Chris Brown.
Seibert struck out six and didn’t walk a batter but three Gamecocks were hit by his pitches.
South Carolina had six hits to five for Arkansas, but two of the Razorback hits were home runs. South Carolina’s only extra base hit was the pinch double by Stanley. The two hits by Rowlett maintained the Arkansas center fielder’s batting average at .500 for the season. Pearce had two of the six Gamecock hits.
South Carolina next plays Davidson Wednesday night at Sarge Frye Field before traveling to Gainesville for a SEC series next weekend at Florida.
