May 12, 2009
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Andrew Crisp tied his career-high with four RBI on a pair of doubles and starting pitcher Adam Westmoreland allowed just two runs in 5.1 innings of work as South Carolina defeated USC Upstate 9-2 in game two of a doubleheader to sweep the twin bill on Tuesday evening at Carolina Stadium. The Gamecocks also earned a 6-3 win earlier in the day over the Spartans. Both games were seven inning contests. Carolina is now 34-19 on the year while the loss drops USC Upstate to 14-37 for the season. The Gamecocks close out the regular season with a three-game SEC series vs. Georgia beginning on Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Carolina Stadium.
Westmoreland worked into the sixth inning and yielded just two runs on seven hits while striking out seven and walking one to pick up the win. He is now 4-2 on the year. USC Upstate starter Phillip Myers lasted only one inning and allowed three runs on three hits to suffer the loss. He is now 1-4 on the year.
“Obviously it was a very productive night for us to pick up a couple wins, against a team that has been playing very well,” said South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner. “We tried to prepare our team for USC Upstate and they have played really well in the past couple weeks. We had some really good at bats tonight. I think the turning point in the first game was (Parker) Bangs getting out of the jam and he kept the game in check. (Adam) Westmoreland did a nice job as well. He gave up some hits but only walked one guy. It was a good day for us. We made a couple mistakes but I was happy with our guys for getting two wins.”
South Carolina broke ahead 3-0 in the bottom of the first inning. Whit Merrifield led off with a single and scored on DeAngelo Mack’s RBI double down the left field line. The double extended Mack’s hitting streak to 14 games. Nick Ebert followed with a walk and both Ebert and Mack would score on Parker Bangs’ RBI double down the left field line.
Upstate would put two runs on the board in the top of the third inning. Keith Bisgounis doubled with one out and scored on Eric Guillen’s two-out RBI double down the right field line. After a single by Ryan Wilkins, the Spartans would score their second run on a RBI infield single by Jimmy Tanner.
The Gamecocks answered with two runs of its own in the bottom half of the third as Crisp drove in Jackie Bradley, Jr. and pinch runner Adam Matthews on a RBI double to left centerfield.
It would remain 5-2 until the sixth inning when Carolina piled four more runs on the board. Crisp tallied his second two-run double of the night with Ebert also recording a RBI on a bases loaded walk and Bradley registering a sacrifice fly to drive in a run.
Carolina out-hit USC Upstate 10-8 in the nightcap. Merrifield, Mack and Crisp all had two hits. Bangs drove in two runs. Eric Guillen was 2-for-4 for USC Upstate.
