Feb. 16, 2007
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Charleston, S.C. – James Darnell and Phil Disher each hit homers and Lonnie Chisenhall tallied three hits with two runs scored as South Carolina defeated Liberty 10-2 on Friday afternoon at the Crab House Shootout presented by Trademark Properties. Carolina improves to 4-0 while the loss drops Liberty to 1-3 this season.
Carolina junior right-handed pitcher Harris Honeycutt picked up the win and is now 2-0 on the year and 10-0 in his career with the Gamecocks. He went 5.1 innings and allowed two runs on four hits and struck out four batters. Liberty starter Michael Solbach suffered the loss after being tagged for five runs on seven hits in four innings of work. He is 0-1 on the season.
The Gamecocks tallied 12 hits with nine different players with at least one in the game. Chisenhall has hit safely in the first four contests with at least two hits in each game. Disher drove in three runs with Andrew Crisp, Robbie Grinestaff and Darnell with two RBI apiece.
South Carolina broke out of the gates early with four runs in the first inning, all with two outs. The Gamecocks loaded the bases with singles from Chisenhall and Justin Smoak and a walk to Disher. That set the table for Crisp, who knocked a single up the middle to score two runs. Crisp and Disher would then score on a RBI double from Robbie Grinestaff, who made his first start of the season in left field for Carolina. Carolina would extend the lead to 5-0 in the third inning as a two-out RBI by Reese Havens scored Crisp from first base.
The Flames cut the deficit in the sixth inning to three runs as an RBI double by Phil John scored two Liberty runners. With runners on second and third with just one out, Carolina brought in reliever Will Atwood, who got the Gamecocks out of the jam with a strikeout and ground out to first base preserving a 5-2 Carolina lead. Atwood would shut down the Flames with 2.2 scoreless innings of work yielding only two hits and striking out four Liberty hitters.
Carolina would increase the lead back to five runs in the seventh inning though as James Darnell greeted Liberty reliever Todd Light with a two-run homer to left center giving the Gamecocks a 7-2 edge. The home run for Darnell was his second of the season. South Carolina scored its final three runs of the game in the eighth inning as Disher launched a three-run homer to left field. The homer was his second of the season as well. Jordan Costner worked a scoreless ninth inning to close out the game for the Gamecocks.
South Carolina continues action at the Crab House Shootout on Saturday morning vs. Richmond with first pitch set for 11 am. Live audio broadcast with Tommy Moody and Tom Price is available at uscsports.com. The Gamecocks will close out the round-robin tournament on Sunday afternoon vs. The Citadel.
