April 17, 2005
Columbia, S.C. – Steven Tolleson hit a two run homer, Michael Campbell drove in two with a triple and a double, and Davy Gregg doubled in two more Sunday to lead South Carolina to a 7-4 win over Vanderbilt to salvage the final game of a three game Southeastern Conference baseball series.
Senior right-hander Aaron Rawl gave up 10 hits in 7 1/3 innings but survived to earn the win, improving his season record to 7-2 and his career mark to 33-11. Freshman left-hander David Price was charged with the loss, evening his record at 2-2. He gave up five hits and four runs, only three earned, in 5 2/3 innings.
South Carolina improved its record to 29-8 overall, 9-6 in the SEC, before a Sarge Frye Field crowd of 4,110. Vanderbilt fell to 23-11, 7-8. The Commodores won the first two games for their first series win at South Carolina and only the second overall over the Gamecocks.
After Vanderbilt took a 1-0 second inning lead on Mike Baxter’s RBI hit that scored Matt Zeller, Joey Friddle beat out a bunt leading off the bottom of the third inning for the first hit allowed by Price. Tolleson followed with his third home run of the season to give South Carolina the lead at 2-1.
Vanderbilt tied it in the fifth with an unearned run. Rucker Taylor reached on an error, moved to third on a double by Baxter, and scored on a ground ball out by Warner Jones.
South Carolina regained the lead at 4-2 in the sixth inning. Steve Pearce walked and scored on a triple by Campbell who crossed the plate on a passed ball.
The Gamecocks added three runs in the seventh. Friddle doubled and moved to third on a wild pitch. Tolleson walked and stole second base. Both runners scored when Gregg doubled. Gregg scored on a double by Campbell.
In the Vanderbilt eighth inning Jones beat out an infield hit and with one out Brian Hernandez hit his third home run to narrow the South Carolina lead to 7-4. Andy Lambert relieved Rawl and retired two batters. Brent Marsh pitched the ninth inning and allowed one hit, a double by Zeller, but earned his eighth save of the season.
Vanderbilt out hit South Carolina 11-8 with Baxter and Hernandez each recording three. Zeller had two hits. Gregg, Campbell and Friddle had two hits for South Carolina. Vanderbilt, which came in with only 19 home runs this season, hit five homers in the three game series to two by the Gamecocks who now have 46 home runs this season.
Two hits by Gregg stretched his current hitting streak to seven games.
South Carolina next plays Clemson for the fourth time this season Wednesday night at Sarge Frye Field. Game time is 7 o’clock. South Carolina won the first two over the Tigers this season but Clemson won last week at Clemson.
