May 10, 2014
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Jack Wynkoop and three Gamecock relievers limited the Tigers to just one run on six hits and 11th ranked South Carolina belted out 11 hits on the way to a 3-1 win over Missouri to clinch a weekend SEC series at Carolina Stadium. The Gamecocks are 38-13 and 15-11 in the SEC with Missouri dropping to 20-29 and 6-20 in league play. The series concludes on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Live video broadcast at GamecocksOnline on the All Access Channel with the game also available on the Gamecock IMG Network including flagship station, 107.5 FM, “The Game.”
Wynkoop allowed just a solo home run in the first inning and worked 5.2 innings to improve to 7-3 on the year. He struck out two and walked one. Taylor Widener added 0.2 scoreless and Cody Mincey pitched a perfect 1.2 innings before giving way to right-hander Joel Seddon who pitched a perfect ninth for his 14th save of the year. Missouri starter Peter Fairbanks suffered the loss and is now 4-6 for the season. He allowed three runs, one earned, on 10 hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
Josh Lester staked Missouri a 1-0 lead in the first inning with a solo home run. Lester launched a 2-0 pitch over the right field wall for his first homer of the year.
South Carolina would ride the momentum of a great defensive play by Gene Cone in the top of the third to lead to a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame. After a flyout to right field, Cone threw a perfect strike home to nab Brett Peel trying to score keeping the Gamecocks within a run. A surge followed as both Patrick Harrington and Marcus Mooney led off the bottom half of the third with base hits. After Max Schrock sacrificed both runners into scoring position, Kyle Martin would drive in Harrington with a RBI groundout. A Missouri miscue would give the Gamecocks a 2-1 lead as Greiner reached base on a throwing error by Missouri third baseman Ryan Howard allowing Mooney to score.
An unearned run in the bottom of the sixth extended the lead to 3-1. Missouri left fielder Dillon Everett dropped a fly ball allowing Gene Cone to reach second base. With two outs he would score on a RBI base hit to center off the bat of Schrock.
Eight of nine Gamecocks in the starting lineup had at least one hit. DC Arendas went 3-for-4 tying a career-high in hits and Patrick Harrington went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Lester was 2-for-4 to lead Missouri at the plate.
