April 8, 2008
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Columbia, S.C. – DeAngelo Mack hit a home run and triple to collect a career-high four RBI and Justin Smoak also homered as South Carolina bounced back with a 9-6 win over Western Carolina on Tuesday evening at Sarge Frye Field. Carolina is now 21-10 on the year while the loss drops Western Carolina to 15-16 this season. The Gamecocks return to action on Wednesday night hosting Clemson with first pitch scheduled for 7 pm.
Mack and Smoak’s home runs were two of 10 hits on the evening for Carolina. Kyle Enders also added a homer and was 2-for-4 with Reese Havens also collecting two hits. Seven of nine Gamecock starters had at least one hit in the contest. Justin Smoak’s eighth home run moves him one shy of the South Carolina school record. Smoak has 47 with the record of 48 held by Hank Small (1972-73-74-75).
Freshman right-hander Sam Dyson earned the win after five innings of work. He allowed four runs on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks allowed. He is 3-0 on the year. Western Carolina starter Daniel Ottone suffered the loss and is 1-1. He worked 4.2 innings and allowed six runs, two earned on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
The Gamecock struck early vs. Western Carolina with two runs in the first inning courtesy of Justin Smoak. The junior first baseman drilled a 2-2 pitch from Ottone for a homer to give the Gamecocks a 2-0 lead. The Catamounts got to Dyson with three runs in the third inning and a single run in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead. Tyler Kirkpatrick drove in a run in the third followed by a two-out two-run single from Brent Greer and Ryan Matthews added a solo homer in the fourth as WCU went ahead by two runs.
South Carolina regained the lead in the bottom half of the fourth with four runs, all unearned, against Ottone. With two outs and a runner on first base, Andrew Crisp hit a pop up to second base. On the play, second baseman Jason Haynes dropped the ball, allowing Carolina to continue the inning at the plate. South Carolina took advantage following an infield single from Kyle Enders, as Mack delivered with a RBI triple down the right field line to score all three runners. Whit Merrifield added a RBI base hit to score Mack as the Gamecocks went ahead 6-4.
Carolina added another run in the seventh inning, taking advantage of Western’s second error of the game, a dropped fly ball by right fielder Barrett Shaft to score Harley Lail. The Catamounts crept to within a run in the top of the eighth inning though with a RBI single from Jason Haynes.
With a 7-6 lead, the Gamecocks gave closer Brandon Todd some cushion with back-to-back home runs from Enders and Mack. Enders drilled a 2-0 pitch from reliever Chris Masters with Mack hitting the first pitch he saw from Masters to give Carolina the 9-6 edge. Todd retired all three batters in the top of the ninth inning to close out the game for Carolina and earn his third save of the year.
Wednesday night’s game is available at gamecocksonline.com with live video broadcast as well as on the Gamecock Radio Network with Mike Morgan and Tommy Moody on the call.
