March 26, 2016
OXFORD, MISS. – Freshman right-hander Adam Hill pitched six scoreless innings to earn his fifth win of the season and 10th ranked South Carolina broke out of the gates with three runs in the first inning on the way to a 4-0 victory over sixth ranked Ole Miss to sweep a three-game SEC series at Swayze Field. The Gamecocks improve to 23-2 and own a 13-game winning streak and improve to 6-0 in SEC play, the first time in school history that Carolina has opened the year with six league wins. Ole Miss is now 20-5 and 2-4 in league play.
Hill limited the Rebels to just four hits and three walks while striking out four batters. He is 5-0 on the year. Sophomore right-hander Tyler Johnson retired all five batters he faced to pick up his second save of the year. Ole Miss right-hander Andy Pagnozzi suffered the loss and is 4-1 on the year. He is allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits in 3.1 innings.
South Carolina struck for three runs in the top of the first inning. Gene Cone led off with a double to the gap in right-center and scored on John Jones’ one-out groundout to first base. Three consecutive hits would give the Gamecocks a 3-0 lead as Alex Destino doubled to left field followed by a RBI base hit from Dom Thompson-Williams, who would steal second base and score on Jonah Bride’s RBI single.
Carolina added an unearned run in the top of the fifth inning. Jones reached base on a one-out walk and advanced to third on a fielding error by second baseman Tate Blackman on a ball hit off the bat of Destino. Thompson-Williams drove in Jones with a sac fly to left field.
GAME CHANGER
The three-run first inning gave Carolina all the cushion needed on the way to the win.
KEY STAT
Carolina limited the Rebels to just five singles in the contest.
NOTABLES
– Alex Destino extended his hitting streak to 17 games with his first inning double.
– Dom Thompson-Williams has reached base in all 25 games this year and owns a 14-game hitting streak. Gene Cone also extended his hitting streak to 11 games.
– South Carolina is now 19-0 on the year when out-hitting its opponent. The Gamecocks are 22-0 when leading after six innings of play as well.
– TJ Hopkins went 2-for-4 for the only multi-hit game of the day for the Gamecocks.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Chad Holbrook
“It was a little bit of a strange game. I didn’t think Adam Hill had his best stuff or command, but he battled and gutted it out for us. He made some good pitches inside on the inner half of the plate and kept them off balance enough. I never thought the three runs in the first would have held up. We made some pitches when we had to, turned some double plays, this weekend just kind of went our way. I told the guys after the game, sometimes things in this league bounce your way. The key to having a great year is when they don’t bounce your way you still try to find a way to win.”
UP NEXT
South Carolina returns home for a Tuesday midweek contest vs. College of Charleston at Founders Park. First pitch is 7 p.m. with the game broadcast live on SEC Network Plus and available on the Gamecock IMG Network including flagship station, 107.5 FM, “The Game
