April 15, 2008

Final Stats

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Sophomore Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Stars Mill) went 3-for-5 with and RBI and senior Kyle Bowley (Apopka, Fla./Apopka) added two hits and a homer for the USC Upstate baseball team, but 13 two-out runs helped lift No. 10 South Carolina past Upstate, 14-4, in non-conference action on Tuesday at Sarge Frye Field.

In the first game South Carolina ever played against a regional campus, the Gamecocks (26-10 overall) were led by Preseason All-American Justin Smoak, who tied school records with three homers and nine RBIs thanks to three two-out three-run shots.

South Carolina drew first blood just three pitches into their first at bat, as Reese Havens lifted a windblown shot over the left-center field wall. Upstate (18-20 overall) responded in the top of the second with their own run, as sophomore Brian Dempsey (Montverde, Fla./East Ridge) worked a walk after being down in the count, 1-2, and Bowley followed with a single underneath a diving shortstop. After a sac bunt, junior Eric Guillen (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks) worked a count full and fouled off three pitches before lining a sac fly to right field to score Dempsey.

Two walks in the third inning, set up the Gamecocks No. 3 hitter Justin Smoak, who blasted a ball over the center-field fence to help them take a 4-1 lead. Bowley answered in the top of the fourth inning, smoking a 3-1 pitch into the Columbia night for his 17th career homer, moving him into a tie for 10th place in Upstate's career record book, making the score 4-2.

The Gamecocks rallied to get six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, as two hits and a walk helped a run cross and set up Smoak's second three-run homer of the game and his 51st career four-bagger. Another walk set up a home run to left field from Phil Disher and gave South Carolina a 10-2 lead.

Upstate scratched two runs across in the top of the seventh inning to cut the lead to six runs. Freshman Keith Bisgounis (Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo) hit a double to left center with one out. Junior Kyle Simpson (Lyman, S.C./Byrnes) followed with an infield single and Tanner found a hole in the right side to score Bisgounis. An error helped bring Simpson across the plate.

Three singles helped push another run across in the bottom of the seventh inning and set up another three-run homer from Smoak, who cleared the right-center field wall with the shot to give USC a 14-4 lead.

Sam Dyson (4-0) pitched five innings, allowing five hits and two runs for the Gamecocks to earn the win. He walked two and struck out four. Sophomore Tyler Oliver (Lawrenceville, Ga./Collins Hill) (1-2) took the loss, allowing two hits, two walks and three runs in 2/3 innings.

Havens went 3-for-3 with four runs, two RBIs and a homer, Harley Lail went 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI and Disher went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs to lead the Gamecocks.

Senior Scott Eckard (Lake Mary, Fla./Lake Mary) set a school-record by just taking the mound to start the game for Upstate. It was his 46th career start, passing the mark of 45 starts set by Trevor Berryhill (2002-05). He pitched two innings in the planned abbreviated start, allowing just the one hit and one run while striking out two to up his school record to 247 strikeouts.

Junior Dennis McCraney (Catawba, S.C./Rock Hill) pitched well in his 53rd career appearance to move into a tie for fourth in Upstate's record book, as he tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just a hit and a walk. He struck out three.

Upstate heads back into conference play on Friday, hosting second-place Lipscomb at Harley Park in the first of a three-game set. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

Note: Junior Phillip Morgan (Campobello, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) saw his first action since March 28 when he was inserted at first base in the bottom of the fifth inning. He had split a finger on his left hand open at the plate, forcing the team's RBI leader from the lineup for 11 games. He went 0-for-2.