Feb. 9, 2007
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Wilmington, N.C. – South Carolina pounded out 14 hits and behind five solid innings from starting pitcher Harris Honeycutt defeated Oklahoma 13-2 in the 2007 season opener at the Hughes Brothers Challenge. The Gamecocks (1-0) will face Western Kentucky on Saturday in day two of the round robin tournament with first pitch set for 4 pm. Live audio and live stats links are available at uscsports.com.
Junior catcher Trent Kline tied a career-high with three hits including two doubles, three runs scored and three RBI to lead the Gamecocks at the plate. Phil Disher added two hits with a homer and three runs with Lonnie Chisenhall and Travis Jones also driving in two runs apiece. Eight of the nine Gamecock starters had at least one hit with all nine reaching base at least once in the game. Oklahoma right fielder Joe Dunigan had two hits to lead the Sooners.
Honeycutt allowed just one run on three hits with six strikeouts to pick up the win. He is now 1-0 on the year with a 9-0 career record at Carolina. Oklahoma starter Joseph Hughes worked into the fifth inning and gave up six runs on nine hits to take the loss for the Sooners. He is 0-1 on the year.
A pair of Gamecock newcomers helped Carolina grab a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Jones led off the frame with a single and scored on an opposite field double by freshman right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall.
Oklahoma tied the game up at 1-1 in the top of the fourth inning. A leadoff walk to Aaron Baker followed by a sacrifice bunt set the stage for Joe Dunigan, who laced an RBI double over the head of Gamecock center fielder Andrew Crisp.
Carolina would regain the lead in the bottom half of the fourth though on the back of four consecutive hits to start the frame. Junior designated hitter Phil Disher launched the first Gamecock homer of the season to right centerfield to put Carolina on top by a run. That was followed by a double from Trent Kline, a single from James Darnell and a RBI single by Andrew Crisp. Following Reese Havens’ sacrifice bunt, Darnell would score on a RBI groundout by Jones.
The Gamecocks would chase Hughes in the fifth inning with four more runs batting around the order in the process. Jon Willard tripled to open the inning and scored on a RBI double by Justin Smoak. Kline would get his second hit of the game to drive in Smoak with Reese Havens and Jones tallying an RBI apiece.
Oklahoma appeared to mount a rally in the sixth inning loading the bases with no outs. Gamecock reliever Will Atwood would stop the Sooners in their tracks though with a strikeout and forcing Jackson Williams to ground into a 4-6-3 double play denying OU a run.
Both teams traded runs in the seventh as Oklahoma scored off an RBI base hit by Devin Shepherd with Chisenhall getting his second RBI of the game. The Gamecocks would score four more times in the eighth inning with RBI’s from Kline and Darnell as well as a pinch hit homer courtesy of Drew Martin.
This was the first meeting between the Gamecocks and Sooners on the baseball diamond. Saturday’s contest vs. Western Kentucky is also a first for the Gamecocks, who have yet to face the Hilltoppers in college baseball.
