April 13, 2007
Columbia, S.C. – Auburn (25-12, 4-9 SEC) exploded for eight runs in the first three innings and behind seven strong innings from starter Paul Burnside defeated fourth ranked South Carolina (26-8, 7-6 SEC) 16-1 on Friday evening in the first of a three-game SEC series. A reminder to fans that the game time for Saturday has changed with first pitch now set for 12 noon. Live audio and gametracker stats are available at uscsports.com. The game can also be heard on the Gamecock Radio Network.
Carolina starting pitcher Harris Honeycutt suffered his first loss in his career at Carolina. Honeycutt went four innings and allowed eight runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts and four walks allowed. Honeycutt was unblemished in his career with the garnet and black until Friday night. His career record at Carolina is now 15-1 with a 7-1 record this season.
Burnside got the win for Auburn and is now 6-1 on the year. He worked seven innings and allowed just one run on five hits while striking out five and walking three in the game.
Auburn broke ahead 1-0 in the top of the first inning. Bruce Edwards opened the game with a single and advanced to third base on Luke Greinke’s double to left center. Edwards would score on a one-out sacrifice fly courtesy of Mike Bianucci.
The Tigers increased the lead to 4-0 in the second inning with Greinke hitting his second double of the game, this time with two outs and the bases loaded to score all three runners and give Auburn a four-run cushion.
Bianucci would push across the fifth run of the game in the third inning on a solo homer, his ninth of the year that cleared the center field wall. Auburn would score three more times in the frame with another two-out double with two outs to score three runs, this one from Edwards. Edwards extended Auburn’s lead to 9-0 in the fifth inning with his third hit of the game, a one-out RBI single to score Ross Smith. The Tigers scored two more runs against reliever Forrest Beverly with a RBI hit from Josh Donaldson and a double from Bianucci.
The Gamecocks got on the scoreboard in the sixth inning on a solo home run from Justin Smoak, his 11th of the year. The hit from Smoak extended his hitting streak to 15 games as well. Auburn scored twice more in the seventh inning. Josh Donaldson hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning to complete the scoring for Auburn.
Auburn totaled 15 hits in the game with Edwards 4-for-5 with four runs and four RBI. Grineke drove in three with three hits and Donaldson finished the game with five RBI. Bianucci also went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and three RBI.
