May 12, 2009
Final Stats
Senior Phillip Morgan (Campobello, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) extended his hitting streak to a Division I-era record 22 games and junior Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Starr's Mill) had four hits to become the 12th player in school history to reach 175 career hits to highlight Tuesday's doubleheader for the USC Upstate baseball team, but South Carolina was able to take both ends of the doubledip, 6-3 and 9-2, at Carolina Stadium.
Adam Westmoreland (4-2) pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and two runs while striking out seven to lead the Gamecocks while the South Carolina offense took advantage posted 10 hits and four doubles in a 9-2 win in the second game of the doubleheader.
Doubles from DeAngelo Mack and Parker Bangs helped South Carolina (34-19 overall) jump out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap. The Spartans closed the gap to a run in the third with a two-double inning of their own. With one out, sophomore Keith Bisgounis (Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo) doubled down the right-field line. After a groundout moved him to third, senior Eric Guillen (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks) doubled down the right-field line as well to score a run. Junior Ryan Wilkins (Spartanburg, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) followed with a single into left field and junior Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Starr's Mill) beat out an infield hit for his 175th career hit to score the second run and make it a 3-2 game.
The Gamecocks answered back with two in the bottom of the third, though, to regain the three-run cushion. A single and a walk led to a two-run double by Andrew Crisp into the left-center field gap.
Upstate (14-37 overall) had a chance to get back in the game in the sixth, using a single, a walk and a hit batter to load the bases, but South Carolina got out of the inning when a fly out was caught at the warning track. South Carolina responded by loading the bases and then scoring four runs thanks to three walks and three hits, including a two-run double by Andrew Crisp to cap the inning.
South Carolina was led by Crisp, who went 2-for-4 and tied a career-high with four RBI. Mack was 2-for-3 with two runs and Whit Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a run. Guillen went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Spartans' eight-hit attack.
Senior Phillip Myers (Louisville, Ky./Seminole C.C.) (1-4) took the loss for Upstate, allowing three runs in one inning of work.
A four-run third inning by the Gamecocks broke a 2-2 tie and helped lift them to a 6-3 win over the Spartans in the first game of the doubleheader. Tanner led the Spartans in the game, going a perfect 3-for-3 with a run, but eight runners left on base stalled several Spartan rallies.
The Gamecocks got on the board in the first inning as the first four batters each had hits, with Nick Ebert hitting a double to left field to drive in the first run of the game to highlight the frame. The Spartans got a run back in the second as senior Tommy Shovlin (Merritt Island, Fla./Daytona Beach C.C.) drew a one-out walk before a sac bunt moved him to second. He scored on a single through the left side by sophomore Blake Stickley (Monroe, N.C./Weddington), who was making his first start of the year in the game.
Upstate tied the game in the top of the third, as Guillen singled to right and Tanner followed with a hit in the same direction. Senior Phillip Morgan (Campobello, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) added another single into right to score Guillen. After a fly out, Shovlin singled to load the bases, but a strikeout and a fly out helped USC get out of the inning.
A two-out triple by Jackie Bradley and a three-run homer from Crisp helped the Gamecocks score their runs in the third, taking a 6-2 lead.
Upstate rallied for a run in the fifth inning, as Tanner singled to left and Morgan followed with a single to left. After Wilkins reached on a fielder's choice, he ran on a 3-2 pitch that struck out Shovlin, but the catcher's throw on the stolen base got into center field, scoring Tanner from third.
That was all Upstate could get off reliever Parker Bangs (3-2) though, who earned the win with 4 2/3 innings of two-hit relief. He allowed an unearned run and struck out five. Freshman Austin Moyer (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford) (3-7) took the loss for Upstate, but threw three scoreless frames against the Gamecocks, finishing in five innings, allowing eight hits and six runs. He struck out one.
Bradley finished 3-for-3 with a run and two RBI, the lone Gamecock to post multiple hits in the first game's nine hit effort. Morgan finished 2-for-4 with a RBI for Upstate.
Upstate will wrap up its season by heading to Campbell with a three-game A-Sun set starting on Thursday with a single game at 4 p.m. before a doubleheader on Friday at 1 p.m.
