Feb. 18, 2006
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina closer Shawn Valdes-Fauli snuffed out a ninth inning Radford rally Saturday to save a 5-2 victory that improved the Gamecock baseball record to 4-1.
South Carolina bids for a sweep of the three game series Sunday at Sarge Frye Field. Game time is 1:30 p.m. The Saturday loss dropped Radford’s season record to 0-2.
Andrew Cruse (1-0), the second of five South Carolina pitchers, was credited with the win and Valdes-Fauli earned his first save. Tom Graham (1-0), the Radford starter, was charged with the loss.
Sophomore right-hander Wynn Pelzer started for South Carolina and struck out eight in 4 2/3 innings. He allowed three hits, no runs and walked one. Pelzer left with a 2-0 lead but did not complete five innings to become eligible for the win.
Pelzer, Cruse, Chase Tucker and Conor Lalor combined to strike out 14 Radford batters. They walked three.
With a 5-0 lead Lalor retired the first two Radford batters in the top of the ninth inning but a walk to Nate Toth, a single by Raphael Turner and a double by Alex Gregory scored two Radford runs. Lalor then walked Aaron Ranft to bring the potential tying run to the plate.
Valdes-Fauli relieved Lalor and retired Drew Maus on a grounder to first base to end the game.
South Carolina put together single runs in the third, fourth and seventh innings and scored twice in the fifth.
The Gamecocks loaded the bases with no outs in the third and scored once. A fielder’s choice by Chris Brown drove in Michael Campbell. Doubles by freshmen Justin Smoak and Reese Havens scored the fourth inning run. In the fifth Brown got his second RBI when his double scored Cheyne Hurst. Brown stole third and scored on a ground out by Neil Giesler.
James Darnell walked to open the South Carolina eighth inning. He moved to second on a sacrifice and scored on an RBI single by Trent Kline. South Carolina had seven hits to six for Radford with no player on either team having more than one.
