April 24, 2015
KNOXVILLE, TENN. – Junior left-hander Jack Wynkoop pitched 8.1 scoreless innings and allowed just seven hits as South Carolina defeated Tennessee 4-0 on Friday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The Gamecocks improve to 26-17 and 9-10 in the SEC with Tennessee dropping to 16-21 and 5-14 in league play.
Wynkoop was masterful as he limited the Volunteers to just seven hits and one walk while striking out five batters to earn the win and improve to 6-4 on the year. Tennessee starter Andy Cox suffered the loss and is 1-3 on the year. He allowed three runs, one earned, on five hits in 5.2 innings with five walks and six strikeouts.
South Carolina broke ahead 1-0 in the top of the first inning. Gene Cone led off the game with a bunt for a base hit, advanced to third base on DC Arendas’ single to right field and scored on Max Schrock’s sac fly to right-center.
The Gamecocks increased the lead to 3-0 in the second inning taking advantage of a Tennessee miscue to score a pair of runs. Connor Bright reached base with two outs on UT shortstop A.J. Simcox’s throwing error. Logan Koch then followed with a two-run homer to right-center, his second home run of the season.
Carolina would tack on a run in the top of the seventh loading the bases with one out with Elliott Caldwell driving in DC Arendas with a RBI single to right field.
Gamecock senior right-hander Cody Mincey would retire the final two outs to seal the victory for Carolina.
GAME CHANGER
Logan Koch’s two-run homer in the second inning increased the lead to 3-0 and gave Wynkoop cushion.
KEY STAT
Wynkoop did not allow a leadoff batter to reach base in the first sixth innings. The leadoff batter reached base in the seventh and eighth innings and was retired in a double play.
NOTABLES
• Jack Wynkoop became the 23rd pitcher in school history to reach the 20-win total with the victory on Friday night.
• Logan Koch hit his second career homer with his two-run round tripper in the second inning. Koch tied a career-high with two RBI, the third time in his career he has driven in two runs in a game. Koch has a four-game hitting streak, tying his season-high.
• Wynkoop recorded his second pickoff the season with a pickoff in the bottom of the sixth inning.
• Elliott Caldwell went 2-for-4 and tallied his team-leading 17th multi-hit game of the year.
• Max Schrock finished 2-for-3 at the plate and has 14 multi-hit games on the year, tied for second highest on the team.
• The shutout for South Carolina was the sixth shutout of the season and the first against a SEC opponent this year.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Chad Holbrook
“I thought (Jack) was very good. Early in the game he had some pop on his fastball, his curveball had some bite. He threw four pitches in there. If you can throw four pitches in the college game for strikes, in any count, you can beat a lot of people. He was efficient tonight as he was last week. He was terrific.”
Senior left-hander Jack Wynkoop
“I tried to come out and do the same thing (as last week), which is get ahead of guys. The defense played awesome today, (we had) some big swings of the bat. All in all, it was a good win.”
UP NEXT
Game two of the series is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. It will be broadcast on SEC Network Plus and can be heard on the Gamecock IMG Network including flagship station, 107.5 FM, “The Game.”
