March 23, 2008
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Columbia, S.C. – Blake Cooper worked a season-high eight innings and Phil Disher tallied a grand slam home run in the third inning as South Carolina defeated Mississippi State 10-3 to sweep a three-game SEC baseball series. The Gamecocks improve to 15-5 and 4-2 in the SEC while the loss drops Mississippi State to 9-12 and 1-5 in the conference. Carolina returns to action on Tuesday night hosting Furman with first pitch set for 7 pm at Sarge Frye Field.
Cooper limited the Bulldogs to three runs on 10 hits while striking out three and walking two to pick up the win. He is 3-2 on the year. Craig Thomas pitched a perfect ninth inning and struck out a pair of batters to close out the game for Carolina. Mississippi State starter Ricky Bowen suffered the loss and is 2-3 on the year. He went four innings and allowed eight runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and three walks.
The Gamecocks finished with an 11-10 hit advantage including two hits each from Reese Havens, James Darnell, Justin Smoak and Kyle Enders. Andrew Crisp also added a single to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Along with Disher’s four RBI, Justin Smoak drove in three runs with Darnell finishing with two RBI for the game. Jason Nappi and Connor Powers each had two hits to lead the Bulldogs.
The Gamecocks looked to be in trouble in the top of the first as Mississippi State loaded the bases with one out against Cooper. The Gamecock starting pitcher was able to get out of the jam though as he induced Connor Powers into a 6-4-3 double play to keep MSU off the scoreboard
Carolina would use that momentum to go ahead 3-0 in the first inning against Bowen. Reese Havens got things started with a double to left field and after a single from Whit Merrifield would score on Darnell’s RBI base hit. Both Merrifield and Darnell would then score on a RBI double courtesy of Smoak.
That lead extended to 7-0 in the bottom of the third inning on Disher’s grand slam. Smoak drew a one-out walk, Enders was hit by a pitch and Crisp singled giving the Gamecocks bases loaded. On Bowen’s 3-1 pitch, Disher connected on a fastball down that went over the left centerfield wall for his team-leading sixth home run of the year. It was the Gamecocks’ third grand slam of the year and first since James Darnell’s on Mar. 12 vs. Yale. Disher now has four career grand slams with the Gamecocks.
Carolina added a run in the fourth inning as Smoak drove in his third run of the game with a base hit. MSU would finally get to Cooper in the sixth inning as Connor Powers delivered with a three-run homer to center field. The sophomore right-hander settled in though and would allow just two more hits through three more innings of work.
South Carolina gave Cooper some breathing room as well in the bottom of the eighth inning with a pair of more runs. Darnell and Enders each had RBI hits to put the Gamecocks at the 10-run mark. It marked the 10th time this season that South Carolina has scored at least 10 runs in a game vs. an opponent. The Gamecocks are 10-0 in those games. Carolina also has homered in 19 of 20 games this year.
Sunday’s sweep was Carolina’s first SEC sweep since early April of 2006 when Carolina defeated LSU in all three games in Baton Rouge.
Tuesday’s game will feature live video broadcast at gamecocksonline.com as well as a live radio broadcast on 107.5 FM with Tommy Moody on the call.
