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g THE GAMECOCK ♦ Friday, April 12, 2002 GAME SCHEDULE BASEBALL at Vanderbilt, 8 p.m. Friday PONTAPT TTS SOFTBALL vs. Kentucky, 1 p.m. Saturday l U O WOMEN’S TENNIS vs. Florida, 1 p.m. Saturday Story ideas? Questions? Comments? BASEBALL at Vanderbilt, 3 p.m. Saturday E-mail us at gamecocksports@hotmail.com MEN’S TENNIS at Florida, 12 p.m. Sunday USC ends slide, beats The Citadel The Citadel 0 0 USC 2 BY BRAD SENKIW THE GAMEGOCK The USC baseball team found its way back in the win column Wednesday night at Sarge Frye Field with a 2-0 victory over The Citadel. Runs were hard to find for both teams, but quality pitching made up for it. Chris Spigner (3-0) pitched seven shutout innings and had a career-high 10 strikeouts for USC (25-8), which was led offen sively by Landon Powell, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Bulldogs starting pitcher Paul Williams (2-4), who notched a win against the Gamecocks earlier in the season, confused USC again. Williams gave up only four hits and one run in six innings. “They are a great team,” Spigner said of The Citadel. Williams “pitched a heck of a game last time and this time.” The Citadel (19-3) offense was never able to figure out the Gamecocks pitching staff, howev er. It only managed only four hits. David Griffin, who was the kero of The Citadel’s last victory over Carolina, was only l-for-4 and struck out twice. Spigner began the game by striking out five of the first six bat ters he faced. USC then started the second in ning with a Trey Dyson walk and a base hit from Steve Thomas. Powell came up with two men on and two out and delivered a single that scored Dyson. It was Powell’s 17th RBI with two outs this season. With a 1-0 lead, Spigner retired 12 in a row until Matt Dean and John Stackley singled in the fifth inning with only one out. Spigner got out of the jam with a strikeout “They are a great team. (Paul Williams) pitched a heck of a game last time and this time.” CHRIS SPIGNER use PITCHER and a diving grab by Thomas in right field. Blake Taylor replaced Spigner in the eighth and struck out two batters after giving up a bunt sin gle. In the bottom half of the in ning, Thomas scored Peters on a sacrifice fly to increase the lead. Taylor walked Jason Randall in the ninth and gave up a hit to Chip Cannon with only one out. But The* Citadel rally ended with two pop outs, and Taylor earned his SEC-leading eighth save on the year. Spigner has now pitched 141/3 scoreless innings in his last two starts. He allowed only three hits ♦ BASEBALL, SEE PAGE 9 PHOTO BY COREY DAVIS/THE GAMECOCK USC Improved to 25-8 Wednesday after a home win over The Citadel. The victory came after a disappointing weekend in which the Gamecocks dropped two games against Arkansas. Former Gamecock Adam Everett is starting in the major leagues BY J. KEITH ALLEN THE GAMECOCK When former Gamecock and current Houston Astro Adam Everett was sum moned to manager Jimy Williams’ office with a week left in spring training, he feared for the worst. “I was a little nervous; I didn’t know what was going to happen,” Everett said. The prospect of a return trip to the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate in New Orleans was a dis tinct possibility. Instead, Williams offered far happier news. “He told me, ‘You’ve had the opportu nity to play, and you’ve done well,’ ” Everett said. Williams told Everett that he would stay with the major-league club and that he would also be the team’s starting shortstop on Opening Day against the Milwaukee Brewers. “It was amazing,” said Everett, who quickly validated Williams’ confidence with a two-run single for his first major league hit. “Off Ben Sheets with one out and the bases loaded, it was a 2-1 fastball, and I’ll never forget it.” The Astros, who won the National League Central Division last season, opened the season with two rookies starting at key positions — Everett and third baseman Morgan Ensberg. But veter ans like Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio PHOTOS SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK A Adam Everett is now a shortstop ^ for the Astros. j helped the two rookies make the transi tion from the minors to the big leagues. “You can’t put into words how much they’re pulling for us,” Everett said. “They really want us to do well.” Biggio, Everett’s double-play partner at second base, has been especially helpful. “He’s been telling me to relax and enjoy it,” Everett said. “It’s been a blessing in disguise having him out there working with me.” Everett came to Columbia in 1996 after one season at N.C. State. USC head coach Ray Tanner was familiar with Everett from his days with the Wolfpack, who he coached for 16 seasons. Everett’s USC career reads like a tour through the record books. He holds the record for most assists in a year by a short stop (218), is tied for second place for most hits in a season (100), and is third in total bases in a season (168). Everett set these marks during his All-SEC season in 1998, and he was drafted a year later in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Boston Red A Sox. The Austell, Ga., native was traded to the Astros in December 1999 for outfielder Carl Everett (no relation), and he labored in their farm system before being called up to the majors in September 2001. Everett credits i Tanner’s tutelage as a L factor in his success. V “Coach Tanner has F been very instrumental 1 ♦ STARS, SEE PAGE 9 The Adam Everett File Adam Everett, a DSC graduate, plays shortstop for the Houston Astros. This is the second year Everett has played in the major leagues. Date of birth: Feb. 2, 1977 Birthplace: Austell, Ga. Height: 6 feet Weight: 156 pounds Bats: Right Throws: Right First major league game: Aug. 31,2002 Stats 2001 Games: 9 At bats: 3 Hits: 0 Walks: 0 Runs: 1 RBIs: 0 Strikeouts: 1 Stolen bases: 1 Average: .000 2002 Games: 7 At bats: 19 Hite: 4 Walks: 4 Runs: 0 RBIs: 1 Strikeouts: 1 Stolen bases: 0 Average: .211 Career Games: 16 At bats: 22 Hits: 4 Walks: 4 Runs: 1 RBIs: 1 Strikeouts: 2 Stolen bases: 1 Average:. 182 SOURCE: HOUSTON ASTROS Lady Gamecocks win two of three against Georgia Softball team sweeps evening doubleheader BY MATT ROTHENBERG THE GAMECOCK The USC softball team won two of three games this week in a se ries with the No. 23 ranked Georgia Bulldogs. Carolina swept a doubleheader Wednesday, win ning 4-3 and 2-1. In a heartbreak er Thursday night, USC lost 2-1 in 10 innings. Game 1: USC 4, Georgia 3 In the first game Wednesday, Georgia opened the scoring in the fourth inning when Nicole Barber tripled and was brought in on Julie Milner’s sacrifice fly. USC came back in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead. Kim Evans led off with a single and came home on a Georgia error fol lowing Debralee Troesh’s single. Meghan Cornett’s single brought Troesh in. The Bulldogs scored two runs in the top of the fifth, but Carolina again came back in the bottom of the inning. Jodi Fittro led off with a two-out single and crossed home on Evans’ triple. Amber Curtis then singled in Evans. Evans, a junior, went 2-for-3 in the opener with an RBI and two runs. Going into Thursday, she led the team with a .321 average. “I’m not a big power hitter,” she said. “But I just try to get on base and score runs, no matter how I can.” Megan Matthews started for Carolina, and lasted five innings. She gave up three runs on six hits and had four strikeouts. SEC Pitcher <■>! the Week Aleca PHOTO BY COREY DAVlS/THE GAMECOCK Stacey Johnson improved to 9 5 after her win Wednesday. Johnson came in to shut down Georgia in the final two innings for her third save. t Game 2: USC 2, Georgia 1 In the nightcap, the Bulldogs took the lead in the third inning when Barber scored on Troesh’s error, but USC came roaring back. In the bottom of the third, Danielle Quinones was hit by a pitch and then bunted over to sec ond. Following a wild pitch that ad vanced her to third base, Quinones scored on a fielder’s choice. Cornett led off the fourth inning with a double and later scored on a wild pitch to give Carolina the lead. Stacey Johnson pitched 51/3 in nings, allowing one unearned run on three hits and striking out two. Aleca Johnson came in for relief and earned her.fourth save, the second on the night. Stacey Johnson’s record improved to 9-5. Aleca Johnson acknowledged her team. “Our defense came up with great plays today,” she said. “I just throw the ball the best I can and know I’ve got the best team behind me.” Game 3: Georgia 2, USC 1 USC took a 1-0 lead in the bot tom of the third Thursday evening as Evans doubled in Quinones. In the fourth and fifth innings, though, Carolina couldn’t score with the bases loaded. Matthews’ potential no-hitter ended in the seventh inning with a leadoff single to Barber. Barber stole her 63rd straight base and ad vanced to third on a wild pitch. She scored on Kristen Bell’s two out single. The two squads played into the 10th inning, when Georgia’s Michelle Green singled in Molly McWilliams for the eventual win ning run. . Matthews went 91/3 innings and took the loss. She allowed one earned run on five hits and had three strikeouts. Her record now stands at 16-5. After a win and a loss in the series, her record moved to 16-5. USC head coach Joyce Compton was upset with her team’s perfor mance Thursday. , “We gave them the game,” she said. “We had the opportunities to win, but people don’t come through when they’re needed to. (Matthews) threw a great game, and we decided to give them the win.” Carolina (31-12,12-8 SEC) plays Kentucky (19-20,3-9) this weekend in a three-game series. Saturday’s dou bleheader and Sunday’s game both begin at 1 p.m. at Beckham Field. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocksports@hotmail.com “We gave them the game. We had the opportunities to win, but people don’t come through when they’re needed to.” JOYCE COMPTON use SOFTBALL COACH