March 11, 2006
Columbia, S.C. – Six pitchers combined to shut Quinnipiac out 12-0 Saturday and South Carolina used three big innings including a three run pinch home run by Jon Willard to take a 2-0 lead in a three game college baseball series. The final game is scheduled for Sunday at Sarge Frye Field. Game time has been changed from 1:30 to 3 p.m., to avoid conflict with television coverage of the Southeastern Conference basketball tournament championship game between South Carolina and Florida in Nashville.
Freshman right-hander Mike Cisco pitched the first five innings to earn his first collegiate decision. He has allowed no runs in 13.2 innings this season. Cisco allowed five of Quinnipiac’s six hits but kept them scattered. He struck out five and walked none. Freshman left-hander Chris Gloor started for Quinnipiac and took the loss as the Bobcats, opening the season with an eight game road trip, fell to 0-2.
Ninth ranked South Carolina improved to 12-2.
South Carolina scored four first inning runs on only two hits plus two walks, an error and a sacrifice fly. Neil Giesler doubled in one run. Michael Campbell, Justin Smoak and Reese Havens also had RBI in the inning.
The Gamecocks added five runs in the third, the big hit being a three run pinch home run by Jon Willard. Campbell had his second RBI and Trent Kline drove in one run in the inning.
South Carolina wrapped up the scoring with three seventh inning runs. Havens drove in one with his second double of the game, James Darnell drove in one and Kline got his second RBI with a sacrifice fly.
Robbie Grinestaff, Drew Martin and Havens had two hits apiece as the South Carolina offense collected 13 hits. Coach Ray Tanner used 23 players in the game.
Brandon Todd, Wynn Pelzer, Jeff Jeffords, Alex Farotto and Conor Lalor followed Cisco on the mound. Pelzer allowed one hit, a double by Randy Gress but he was out attempting to stretch the hit to a triple, right fielder Mark Stanley to shortstop Havens to third baseman James Darnell.
The Gamecock defense played its seventh errorless game in 14 outings and backed the pitching with three double plays.
Gress had two of Quinnipiac’s six hits and Kevin Macilvane had a double for the Bobcats.
