April 1, 2009
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina starting pitcher Jay Brown worked 6.2 scoreless innings and combined with relievers Adam Westmoreland and Michael Roth on a six-hit shutout as the Gamecocks defeated Furman 10-0 on Wednesday evening in non-conference college baseball action at Carolina Stadium. The win improves Carolina to 19-8 for the year while the loss drops Furman 10-13 for the season. South Carolina continues its homestand with a weekend series vs. SEC-leading Arkansas with first pitch for the opener on Friday set for 7 p.m. The game is available on the Gamecock Radio Network and at GamecocksOnline.com.
In his third start of the year, Brown had command of the strike zone the entire night and limited the Paladins to just four hits and four walks while striking out five batters. He improved to 2-0 on the year. Westmoreland followed with 1.1 scoreless innings, he allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out two. Roth closed the game out in the ninth with one perfect inning of relief with a strikeout. Furman reliever Spencer Hale took the loss and is now 2-1 for the year. He allowed two runs on five hits in two innings of relief.
“After last night not playing very well and losing at The Citadel it was great to come home and get a win,” said South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner. “Jay Brown gave us a quality start. We left some runners on base early in the game, but we had a big six-run eighth inning. We did a nice job and got a win.”
The win was Carolina’s second shutout of the Paladins this year and the team’s sixth shutout of the season. South Carolina is 17-1 on the year when allowing five runs or less in a game.
South Carolina broke ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning. Andrew Crisp led off with a double and scored on a one-out double from Dalles. The Gamecock catcher just missed a home run with the ball going off the top of the left centerfield wall. That lead increased to 2-0 in the third inning as Jackie Bradley, Jr. extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a solo homer to left field. Bradley, Jr. belted a 2-1 pitch from Furman reliever Spencer Hale for his sixth home run of the season.
Carolina doubled that lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning with two more runs against reliever Stephen Gary. Parker Bangs got things started with a leadoff walk and Scott Wingo singled with one out to give Carolina a pair of runners. Bobby Haney would drive in Bangs with a RBI single to right field. Wingo would then eventually score as Gary committed a balk to advance Wingo to home and giving Carolina a four-run cushion.
It remained 4-0 until the eighth inning when the Gamecocks batted around and plated six runs to go ahead 10-0. Bobby Haney drove in a run with a double, Whit Merrifield had two RBI with a double and DeAngelo Mack drove in a pair with a double as well.
South Carolina out-hit Furman 15-6 including seven doubles from seven different players vs. the Paladins. In a combined two games vs. Furman, the Gamecocks have had 15 doubles. Merrifield was the team’s leading hitter with a 3-for-4 day at the plate with two RBI. Mack also had two hits with two RBI. Haney went 2-for-4 with a season-high three RBI. Furman catcher Matt Hemingway led the Paladins with a 2-for-4 day at the plate.
