March 5, 2008
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Columbia, S.C. – Charlotte catcher Chris Taylor and center fielder Brad McElroy combined for five hits and nine RBI as the 49ers defeated third ranked South Carolina 11-2 in non-conference action on Wednesday afternoon at Sarge Frye Field. Charlotte improves to 8-1 on the year while the loss drops Carolina to 5-2 this season. The Gamecocks return to action on Friday beginning a three-game series with Duquesne.
The 49ers used six pitchers in the victory with their fourth pitcher, Andrew Smith, picking up the win. He is 1-1 on the year. Smith worked 2.1 innings of relief and allowed just one hit with two strikeouts to earn the win. Carolina starting pitcher Nick Godwin suffered the loss and is now 1-1 on the year. Godwin worked five-plus innings and allowed five runs on five hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
South Carolina broke out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning against Charlotte starter B.J. Hagen. Gamecock designated hitter Phil Disher led off the frame with a solo home run to left field, his third homer of the season. The Gamecocks would then load the bases with freshman Scott Wingo driving in the second run on a two-out walk.
That would be all the scoring for Carolina though and Charlotte took the lead in the fourth inning as a single and a walk set the table for McElroy who drilled a first pitch fastball from Godwin over the center field wall for a three-run homer.
The Gamecocks looked to mount a rally in the bottom half of the fourth with the bases loaded and one out. Charlotte reliever Joe Yermal was able to get a key second out though with a strikeout against James Darnell. The 49ers got out of the jam then with reliever Michael Maples getting Justin Smoak to ground into a fielder’s choice stopping the Gamecock effort.
Charlotte tacked on three more runs in the sixth inning as McElroy delivered with a RBI double followed up by an RBI groundout from Chris Taylor and Shayne Moody’s RBI base hit. Charlotte would add on a run in the eighth inning with McElroy stealing two bases before scoring on a sacrifice fly. McElroy and Taylor would account for the final four runs in the ninth inning as each tallied two-run doubles.
Charlotte finished with a 12-8 advantage in hits. McElroy had three along with Corey Shaylor and Aaron Bray and Taylor added two apiece. Reese Havens led the Gamecocks at the plate with three hits with Andrew Crisp getting two singles in his second start of the year. Havens and Justin Smoak have hit safely in all seven contests for the Gamecocks this year.
This weekend’s series with South Carolina and Duquesne have times of 7, 4 and 1 pm. Live gametracker stats and audio broadcast is available at gamecocksonline.com.
