April 5, 2008
Athens, Ga. – Georgia scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and rallied from a two-run deficit to defeat South Carolina 5-3 on Saturday evening to sweep a SEC doubleheader against the Gamecocks. Georgia is now 19-10 and 8-3 in the SEC while the loss drops Carolina to 20-9 and 6-5 in conference play. Both teams meet on Sunday afternoon in the finale of the series with first pitch set for 2 pm at Foley Field. Live audio broadcast is available at gamecocksonline.com and on the Gamecock Radio Network with Mike Morgan and Tommy Moody on the call.
The Gamecocks were in control of the game with a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth inning when Georgia struck with four runs. The Bulldogs were able to take advantage of a Gamecock error to get their leadoff hitter on base as Joey Lewis reached first on a fielding error by Gamecock third baseman James Darnell. Adam Fuller followed with a single to put a pair of runners on base for Georgia with no outs. A Michael Demperio sacrifice bunt put both runners in scoring position and set the stage for Ryan Peisel. Already with two hits on the evening, Peisel delivered with his third hit of the game with a RBI single to right center scoring both runs and tying the game at three apiece. With two outs and a runner on second base, the Gamecocks elected to intentionally walk Gordon Beckham. Gamecock reliever Brandon Todd came in for starter Will Atwood to face Rich Poythress. The Bulldog cleanup hitter knocked a base hit to right center just out of the reach of a diving right fielder Harley Lail, scoring Peisel and giving the Bulldogs a one-run cushion. Georgia then went ahead 5-3 on another RBI base hit, this one from Bryce Massanari.
Carolina looked to mount a rally against Georgia reliever Dean Weaver in the top of the ninth inning as the first two batters reached base with a single by Andrew Crisp and a walk to Kyle Enders. A sacrifice bunt from Lail would give Carolina runners in scoring position at second and third base. Weaver responded with a strikeout against DeAngelo Mack for the second out of the inning. Georgia then intentionally walked Reese Havens, who had homered twice already in the contest to load the bases and face Whit Merrifield. Weaver was able to then record the final out of the game on a fly ball to right field to give the Bulldogs the victory.
Georgia reliever Alex McRee earned the win after one scoreless inning of work. He is 5-1 on the year. Weaver picked up his first save of the year with a scoreless ninth inning. Gamecock starting pitcher Will Atwood suffered his first loss of the season and is 3-1. He went 7.2 innings and allowed five runs, two earned, on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
Carolina and Georgia each traded runs in the first inning courtesy of each team’s leadoff hitter. Havens delivered a solo homer to center field to start off the game and put Carolina on top by run. The lead would be short-lived though as Peisel responded for Georgia in their bottom half with a homer to right field to tie the game at one apiece.
The Gamecocks regained the lead in the fourth inning on the back of a home run from Justin Smoak his seventh of the season, putting him just two short of the Carolina all-time record. Smoak currently has 46 career homers for the Garnet and Black. That lead increased to 3-1 in the sixth inning on Havens’ second homer of the game and his 10th of the year. Havens delivered on a first pitch from Dodson with a long shot to right center to give Carolina a two-run lead. It marked Havens’ second career multi-homer game, the last one coming on April 22, 2007 at Ole Miss.
Georgia finished with a 7-5 advantage in hits with Peisel leading the way with three as well as three RBI. Massanari also had two hits for Georgia. Georgia starting pitcher Stephen Dodson went seven innings and allowed three runs on four hits with four strikeouts and one walk.
