Feb. 17, 2007
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Columbia, S.C. – James Darnell homered for the second consecutive day and Jay Brown struck out nine batters in six innings to record his second win of the year as South Carolina defeated Richmond 9-2 on Saturday afternoon at the Crab House Shootout presented by Trademark Properties. Carolina is now 5-0 on the year while the loss drops Richmond to 0-2 this season. The Gamecocks close out the weekend vs. The Citadel on Sunday afternoon (February 18) at 2 pm at Joe Riley Park. Live audio broadcast with Tommy Moody and Tom Price is available at uscsports.com.
South Carolina had 10 hits on the afternoon and walked 14 times in the game with three batters also hit by pitch. Darnell was 2-for-4 with two RBI and Phil Disher went 2-for-4 with three RBI to lead the Gamecocks at the plate. Lonnie Chisenhall added two hits and has now hit safely in all five games this year, with at least two hits per game.
Brown improved to 2-0 after working six innings and allowing just two runs on six hits. His nine strikeouts were an individual high by a Gamecock pitcher this year. Richmond starter Rob Berzinskas (0-1) lasted only four innings and yielded five runs on five hits with five walks to suffer the loss.
Richmond grabbed the early lead in the first inning scoring two runs with two outs off Brown. After a hit by pitch to Joe Mahoney and a walk to Cameron Brown, the Spiders would score their first run on a RBI base hit by Hank Coogan. Brown would give the Spiders a 2-0 lead on a RBI base hit from Matt McKenna.
South Carolina would get one run back in the second inning without a hit against the Spiders. Andrew Crisp led off the frame with a hit by pitch and advanced to second on a groundout. Crisp would advance to third base on a wild pitch and scored on a Reese Havens RBI groundout.
The Gamecocks would go ahead of Richmond in the fourth inning with four runs off of Berzinskas. After Robbie Grinestaff walked with one out, sophomore James Darnell launched a two-run homer to left field, his team-leading third of the season. The scoring continued after the Gamecocks loaded the bases in the frame, as Justin Smoak, connected with a two-out RBI single to right field scoring Reese Havens and Travis Jones for a 5-2 Carolina lead.
Junior catcher Phil Disher would factor in the next four runs with a pair of RBI doubles in both the sixth and seventh inning. His RBI double in the sixth scored Trent Kline with Justin Smoak also advancing home after a fielding error by left fielder Vince Riggi. After Carolina loaded the bases in the seventh inning, Disher would connect with a double to right center scoring two runs and giving the Gamecocks a 9-2 edge.
Richmond had eight hits with Matt McKenna tallying three to lead the Spiders. The Carolina relief staff of Blake Cooper and Nick Fuller kept the Spiders off the scoreboard in the final three innings. Cooper had two strikeouts in two innings of work and Fuller struck out the final batter of the game to pitch a scoreless ninth inning.
