May 2, 2008
Columbia, S.C. – Florida scored in six of the nine innings and tallied 12 base hits on the way to a 9-3 victory over South Carolina in game one of a three-game SEC baseball series. Cole Figueroa went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and three RBI and Avery Barnes was 2-for-4 with three runs scored as well as the Gators improved to 28-16 and 13-9 in the SEC. The loss drops the Gamecocks to 31-15 and 11-11 in the conference. Both teams meet in game two of the series on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 4 pm.
Florida reliever Billy Bullock came on in relief in the fourth inning and worked 5.1 innings to earn the win. He is 4-3 on the year. He allowed two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. South Carolina starter Mike Cisco suffered the loss and is 5-3 on the year. He allowed four runs, one earned, on eight hits in three plus innings of work.
Each team traded runs in the first inning. Barnes would reach base to lead off the game with an infield single, stole second and scored on a RBI base hit to left field from Cole Figueroa. Carolina got the run back in the bottom half as Whit Merrifield drew a one-out walk, advanced to third on a single from Justin Smoak and scored on a RBI single to left field by James Darnell.
Florida went ahead 4-1 in the third inning on the back of six singles against Cisco. Buddy Munroe would reach base on a one-out single. The Gators would then take advantage of a Gamecock error as first baseman Justin Smoak dropped a foul ball near the first base dugout that allowed for Gators leadoff hitter Avery Barnes to get a second chance. Barnes would single then on a hit and run to give Florida a pair of runners on the corners. Josh Adams grounded out to shortstop to score Barnes for the second out of the inning and give Florida the 2-1 lead. Three consecutive singles including RBI hits from Figueroa and Matt den Dekker put the Gators on top 4-1.
Florida added a run in the fifth inning as Figueroa reached base on a hit by pitch and would score on a RBI single from Jon Townsend. The Gators would then go ahead 7-1 in the sixth inning with two more runs as Brandon McArthur laced a two-out RBI single to score a pair of runs.
South Carolina closed to within five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning on a solo home run from Scott Wingo, his sixth of the year and fifth in the last 10 games. Florida added single runs in the eighth and ninth innings before Carolina scored its final run of the evening in the ninth on a solo homer by Reese Havens, his 13th of the year. The hit also extended his hitting streak to 16 games.
Florida out-hit Carolina 12-7 with McArthur leading the way with three. Barnes, Figueroa, Townsend and Munroe all added two hits as well. Smoak and Andrew Crisp would lead the Gamecocks with two hits apiece. The Gators stole six bases against the Gamecocks with Barnes and Cooper finishing with two apiece.
