Feb. 24, 2008
Columbia, S.C. – Kyle Enders’ two-run bases loaded single in the bottom of the 11th inning lifted second ranked South Carolina to a 7-6 come-from-behind win over 24th ranked East Carolina in the rubber game of a three-game series. South Carolina is now 2-1 on the year while the loss drops East Carolina to 1-2 on the season. The Gamecocks return to action on Wednesday afternoon against UNC Asheville. First pitch is set for 3 pm. Live audio and video is available at gamecocksonline.com.
The Gamecocks trailed 6-5 entering the bottom half of the 11th inning after a two-out RBI hit from Stephen Batts put the Pirates up a run. James Darnell started the Carolina rally with a single and Justin Smoak walked for a third time in the game to give the Gamecocks a pair of runners with no outs. Adam Crisp then layed down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to scoring position at second and third base. An intentional walk to Harley Lail loaded the bases and set the stage for Enders. A redshirt sophomore out of Greer, S.C. (Riverside HS), Enders followed off four two-strike pitches from reliever Josh Ruhlman before connecting with the winning base hit to center field to win the series for the Gamecocks.
Ruhlman suffered the loss after an inning of work and is 0-1 on the year. Carolina reliever Sam Dyson pitched 0.1 innings of relief to pick up his first win of his career.
The Pirates led for most of the contest in the early stages. ECU took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning as Jamie Ray reached base on a leadoff single and would score on a one-out two-run homer courtesy of Drew Schieber. Ryan Wood gave the Pirates a three-run edge then with ECU’s second homer of the game, a solo shot to start off the third inning. South Carolina got on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the third with an unearned run off of ECU starter Justin Bristow. James Darnell reached base on a fielding error by Scheiber, the shortstop. He would score all the way from first base on two outs as Harley Lail drilled a RBI double to the left centerfield wall.
After an East Carolina run in the fourth inning brought the Pirate lead back to three runs, the Gamecocks would cut the deficit to just a run on a two-run homer from Whit Merrifield, his second of the season.
The scoring would quiet down for a couple of innings as Carolina reliever Curtis Johnson settled in and battled for the Gamecocks on the mound. Johnson worked a career-high 6.2 innings of relief in the game and kept East Carolina at bay from the fifth-eighth inning. The Gamecocks down a run, would grab the lead in the seventh inning on a two-run homer from Justin Smoak, his second of the year. Smoak’s homer was his 41st of his career and ties him for seventh on the All-Time Career list at Carolina. East Carolina would finally get to Johnson in the ninth inning to tie the game as Drew Schieber doubled and scored with one out on a RBI groundout by Ryan Wood.
Johnson’s line finished at 6.2 innings allowing two runs on four hits with five strikeouts. ECU reliever Sthil Sowers was equally effective in relief for the Pirates allowing two runs on four hits in 4.1 innings of work.
The Gamecocks finished the game with an 11-10 hit advantage. Merrifield, Lail, Enders and Wingo all had two hits for the Gamecocks. Schieber led ECU with three hits with Jamie Ray, Harrison Eldridge and Ryan Wood collecting two hits as well.
