March 29, 2005
Columbia, S.C. – Steve Pearce spoiled a no hit bid by Brown right-hander Jeff Dietz with a two out sixth inning home run Tuesday night and South Carolina broke a 2-2 tie with five eighth inning runs to defeat the Ivy League Bears 7-2 before 2,318 baseball fans at Sarge Frye Field.
Brown led 2-0 and South Carolina was hitless until Pearce hit a long drive just inside the left field foul pole for his sixth home run of the season. The Gamecocks played “little ball” in the seventh inning to score the tying run and won it with five runs on five hits in the eighth.
South Carolina improved to 20-5 on the season while Brown dropped to 4-9. Brent Marsh, 1-0, the third of four South Carolina pitchers, was the winner with help from Brandon White for the final two outs. James Crampin, 0-3, the third Brown pitcher, was charged with the loss.
South Carolina tied the score in the seventh inning when Ryan Mahoney singled and Joey Friddle and Tommy King reached on bunt singles trying to sacrifice to load the bases. Mahoney scored on a sacrifice fly by Chris Brown.
Jon Willard led off the bottom of the eighth with a base hit but pinch runner Mark Stanley was out on a fielder’s choice by Pearce. Ian Paxton doubled Pearce to third and Mahoney was walked intentionally to load the bases. Friddle delivered a two run single to break the tie and after Davy Gregg made the second out, Brown extended his hitting streak to eight games with a single to drive in two more.
Michael Campbell completed the scoring with a double that drove in Brown. Campbell extended his hitting streak to seven games.
Dietz baffled the Gamecock hitters with a side arm delivery through 5 2/3 innings as Brown collected seven hits off Gamecock freshman right-hander Wynn Pelzer to lead 2-0 after three innings. The Bears scored in the first inning on singles by Bobby Wiginton, Matt Kutler and Danny Hughes wrapped around a walk. In the third, Wiginton doubled, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on a hit by Kutler.
Two infield hits loaded the bases with two outs and Jeff Jeffords relieved Pelzer. He struck out Chris Contrino to end the Brown rally. Jeffords pitched five innings and allowed only one hit before being relieved by Marsh with two outs in the top of the eighth. Jeffords has not allowed a run in 11 2/3 innings of work this season.
Each team finished with nine hits. With Wiginton’s double the only extra base hit by Brown. Paxton and Campbell had doubles to go with the Pearce home run for the Gamecocks. Wiginton, Kutler and Danny Hughes had two hits for the Bears. Brown and Friddle had two hits for South Carolina. Brown drove in three and Friddle had two RBI.
South Carolina travels to Charleston Wednesday to meet The Citadel in the second of five games scheduled this week. Senior right-hander Cliff Donald, 0-0, is the scheduled Gamecock starting pitcher. The Gamecocks have a three game Southeastern Conference series at home with Georgia this weekend.
Catcher Cory Vanderhook is scheduled for surgery Thursday to repair the medial meniscus in his left knee and is expected to be on the disabled list three to six weeks. Right fielder Brendan Winn sat out the Brown game with a sore back but is expected to be available for The Citadel game.
