April 11, 2014

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COLUMBIA, S.C. – Fourth-ranked South Carolina erased a one-run deficit with three runs in the bottom of the fifth including a two-run single from Grayson Greiner and added an insurance run in the eighth inning on the way to a 4-1 victory over 13th-ranked Florida. The Gamecocks improve to 28-5 and 8-5 in SEC play while the loss drops Florida to 21-13 and 7-6 in the league.

Junior left-hander Jordan Montgomery earned the win to improve to 5-2 on the year. He hurled seven innings allowing one run on seven hits with one walk while striking out eight batters. Joel Seddon closed it out for the Gamecocks with two scoreless innings for his ninth save of the year. Seddon has not allowed a run in 19 innings pitched this year and is 9-for-9 in save opportunities. Florida starter Logan Shore suffered the loss and is now 3-2 on the year. He allowed four runs on six hits in seven-plus innings with a walk and two strikeouts.

Florida went ahead 1-0 in the top of the first. With one out, Richie Martin singled, promptly stole second and scored on Taylor Gushue’s two-out RBI base hit to left-center.

The Gamecocks put together a three-run fifth inning to take the lead over the Gators. After DC Arendas drew a walk and Tanner English singled to left field, Joey Pankake reached on a fielder’s choice as Shore elected to go for an out at second on a slow roller but the throw was not in time as English slid into second base. With the bases loaded and still one out Marcus Mooney tied the game with a successful suicide squeeze bunt that scored Arendas. With English and Pankake still on base, Greiner then knocked a 1-2 pitch to right-center brining both runners home.

South Carolina added another run in the bottom of the eighth, increasing its lead to 4-1. Marcus Mooney opened the frame with a double and advanced to third on Greiner’s sacrifice bunt. Kyle Martin then drove in Mooney with an RBI single up the middle.

Both teams had seven hits for the evening. Martin went 2-for-4 to lead Carolina with Peter Alonso and Josh Tobias each with two hits to lead the Gators at the plate.

The series continues on Saturday with first pitch set for 4 p.m. The game will be streamed on GamecocksOnline.com and can be heard on the Gamecock IMG Network including flagship station, 107.5 FM, “The Game.” Saturday’s game is sold out.