March 8, 2008
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Columbia, S.C. – Three South Carolina pitchers combined to limit Duquesne to four hits while striking out 15 batters and the third ranked Gamecocks scored six runs in the second inning on the way to a 10-2 victory over the Dukes. Carolina improves to 7-2 on the year while the loss drops Duquesne to 0-9 this year. The final game of the series is set for 1 pm on Sunday afternoon with live video broadcast available at gamecocksonline.com.
Carolina reliever Parker Bangs won his first career game with three scoreless innings out of the pen. He did not allow a hit and just walked one while striking out five batters. He is 1-0 on the year. Duquesne starter Paul Bugajski suffered the loss and is now 0-3 on the year. He worked four innings and allowed nine runs on 11 hits.
Carolina broke ahead 6-0 in the bottom of the second inning sending 11 batters to the plate vs. the Dukes. A double from Harley Lail, a walk to Andrew Crisp and Whit Merrifield’s single loaded the bases for the Gamecocks. Reese Havens would drive in a pair of runs then with a double to left field. Scott Wingo followed with a RBI sacrifice fly. The Gamecocks would then score three more runs with two outs as James Darnell recorded a two-out RBI single and Harley Lail drove in a pair with a two-run base hit. Lail had two hits in the inning for Carolina including his team-leading sixth double of the season.
Duquesne would score a run in the fourth inning as Aaron Janusey walked and scored on a pinch-hit sacrifice fly from Derek Fallecker. Carolina starting pitcher Will Atwood, in his first start of the season, went four innings and allowed one run on one hit with five strikeouts and four walks.
The Gamecocks added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. DeAngelo Mack led off with a solo home run to left field, his first career homer in a Carolina uniform. Crisp followed with his second hit of the game, a single to left field with Merrifield also tallying his second hit to give the Gamecocks a pair of runners. They would both score on a two-run single from Havens. Carolina added a run in the seventh inning as a James Darnell sacrifice fly RBI would score Merrifield.
Carolina reliever Brandon Todd pitched the final two innings and allowed one run on three hits and finished with five strikeouts to close the game out for the Gamecocks.
South Carolina finished with 15 hits on the afternoon. Havens and Justin Smoak both extended their hitting streaks to nine games. The home run from Mack in the fifth inning continued the Gamecocks’ streak of at least one home run in every game this year for the Garnet & Black. Mack and Merrifield each had three hits on the afternoon for Carolina. Havens, Smoak, Lail and Crisp added two apiece. It was the fifth time this season that Carolina has scored at least 10 runs in a game.
