May 22, 2014
HOOVER, ALA. – After sixth ranked South Carolina broke ahead 2-0, the seventh ranked Florida Gators scored seven unanswered runs on the way to a 7-2 win to eliminate the Gamecocks from the 2014 SEC Tournament. South Carolina drops to 42-16 with Florida now 38-20 on the year. South Carolina now awaits word on the announcement of the NCAA Division I Championship 64-team field that will be announced on Monday at Noon eastern on ESPNU. Host sites to the 16 NCAA Regionals will be announced on Sunday at approximately 9 p.m. ET on NCAA.COM and the Bottom Line on the ESPN Networks.
Florida left-hander Bobby Poyner earned the win with five scoreless innings of relief with just two hits allowed, a walk and a strikeout. He is 5-3 on the year. South Carolina junior left-hander Jack Wynkoop suffered the loss and is 7-5 for the season. He allowed three runs, all unearned, on four hits with no walks and no strikeouts in 2.2 innings of work.
The Gamecocks manufactured a run to go ahead 1-0 in the top of the second inning. Joey Pankake led off with a double down the left field line, advanced to third on DC Arendas’ groundout to second and scored on Tanner English’s double to right field. The lead increased to a pair of runs in the third inning on a solo homer from Kyle Martin, his fifth of the season. Martin crushed a 2-0 pitch over the wall in center field.
Florida answered though in the bottom of the third with three unearned runs to take a 3-2 lead. After Wynkoop retired the first two batters, a two-out single by Casey Turgeon, a fielding error by Wynkoop on a bunt by Richie Martin and a hit by pitch to Harrison Bader loaded the bases. Taylor Gushue would bounce a 2-0 pitch from Wynkoop up the middle for a base hit to score a pair of runs. Braden Mattson followed that up with a squeeze bunt to score Bader and give the Gators a one-run cushion.
The Gators extended the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth. Gamecock reliever Cody Mincey issued walks to both Ryan Larson and Justin Shafer to open the frame. With one out and runners still on first and second, Turgeon singled into right field scoring Larson. Martin followed with a RBI base hit as well. Josh Tobias gave the Gators a 6-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning with a solo homer off of Joel Seddon, just the fourth run allowed, third earned, this year by the Gamecock right-hander. Florida would add one more run in the eighth inning.
Florida had 12 hits with South Carolina finishing with five for the contest. Turgeon went 3-for-5 and Bader added two hits. Tanner English was 2-for-4 to lead the Gamecocks at the plate.
