Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Hilliard Notch Gan BY STEVE PARKER Sports Editor Carolina's baseball team received some strong pitching which enabled them to win three straight games and con tinue their winning trend. The three wins raised Carolina's record on the season to 18-12, including seven wins their last nine times out. Pitcher Alan Hilliard's 7-0 blanking of Furman Wednesday afternoon was the standout per formance of the last three games, his fourth shutout on the year, a new Carolina record. But Greg Ward was just as impressive the previous after noon in the first game of a twin bill with Old Dominion, which USC swept, as he two-hit the vis itors enroute to a 9-0 rout. The ease with which Carolina breezed through the first game, may have hampered them in the nightcap as the Gamecocks appeared to let down and required a three-run rally in the seventh to overtake Old Domin ion and emerge victorious 5-4. Slugging first baseman Hank Small knocked two homeruns in the last two contests, to raise his season total to six. Small hit only four all last season. USC coasted by Old Dominion in the first game by scoring seven runs in the third inning, to give Ward a more than-comfortable margin with which to master the opponent batters. Ward's victory was his third shutout on the year, leav ing him with a record of 4-2. In the second game USC fell behind 4-1 when Old Dominion put together three runs to chase Gamecock starter Tim Lewis from the mound. But Carolina's Small knocked a homerun-and halved the score deficit. In the bottom of the seventh, Zipperl Returns BY JIM HERSH Asst. Sports Editor Two years ago a running back named Tom Zipptrly led Carolina's freshman football team in rushing with 387 yards and a 4.6 average. Last year the potentially outstanding runner was moved to defense to plug the holes left by four graduat ing seniors. Now after a year of waiting, USC will see if Zipperly is as talented as his freshman show ing would indicate. Two weeks ago Paul Dietzel switched the sophomore from Florida back to running back in a Spring move that promises to make Carolina's offensive attack more powerful. In Carolina's intrasquad scrimmage last Saturday Zip perly scored two touchdowns and displayed the speed and quickness which allowed him to be the Gamecocks premier freshman runner two years ago. So far Zipperly seems to have taken the switch without diffi cultv. es Fourth Shui ecocks Carolina rallied for three runs but left the bases loaded while batting around the order. Bruce Pudlock started off the uprising and Larry Wojcicki's triple was the big hit of the frame as he scored the tying run on Frank M.1. Lettin Carolina's Greg Ward strb ready to release a pitch in b Old Dominion Tuesday. Ward year, he has lost two, in the 9 y Switches To Runnii "It has not really been hard making the switch back to offense," Zipperly said Wed nesday. "I was a running back all my life before last year." Carolina's change to the veer offense, a relatively simple offense to learn, has probably eased the switch somewhat. "I like the veer offense a lot," Zip perly said. "It's a good offense and it's simple. It's not niearly as complex as the ones we have used before." The reason behind Zipperly's - switch to defense last season was one of necessity. The Gamecocks had none of their starters back from the group headlined by Dickle Harris and Dietzel needed help in the s'ec ondary. So Zipperly, along with C. A. Wilson, a wide receiver on the same frosh team as Zip perly, senior Neville Files and transfer Mel Bax1ev, became Dietzel's deep second:vy. But Dietzel rememb,ered the hope Zipperly produced as a runner the year before and at his first opportunity got Zip out Win Th Matusek's single. The benefactor of the USC rally was reliever Bo Robinson who gained the win to hike his mark to 2-1, although he required more relief assistance from Tom Luckstone. 1 '0 .Go es forward in his wind-up, s two-hit shut-out win over won his fourth game of the D Gamecock victory. Easily; ig Back perly back on offense. The emergence of Henry Laws, a freshman, into a first-class defensive back this year allowed Die.tzel the chance to look at Zipperly as a runner. "It was out of necessity that we moved Zipperly to defense last year," Dietzel said. "But Tom has the speed and quick ness needed to be a good runn ing back. He does some things that I just can't teach a runner." Right now Dietzel hopes to be able to keep Zipperly in the offensive backfield all next sea son, but says he will move him back to defense if injuries deplete his defensive backfield. "I really don't know how well I'd be able to switch back to defense afte.r playing offense again," Zipperly said. "But I'd imagine I could move back and do the job because I have had a year's experience back there." Like most athletes, Zipperly is taking an optimistic view on the coming season. He is espe (See ZIPPERRY, Page iS) ree Str Hilliard stifled Furman to record his sixth win, as a Carolina run in the first inning proved to be all the left-hander needed for the afternoon. Eddie Ford's bunt single, steal of sec ond and score on Hank Small's single to left was the decisive mark. Carolina added another in the second, two more in the sixth and three in the seventh, includ ing Small's sixth homerun on the year. H'illiard's AWelcon BY STEV Sporti Alan Hilliard realized that if he was going to seriousli professional baseball scouts Through Hilliard's first th had fashioned some impres he had never been able to 'the mound. Earned run aver a pro scout, but its the abilil So, the senior left-hander by complementing his fine mark this season. "If I was going to have a I knew that this was going Hilliard. And Hilliard has done qui son-he already broke the s4 a 7-0 victory oveir Furman leads the club in almost ev has alieady compiled six vic sation Earl Bass won all lasl Hilliard's 6-1 record standg record of 7-10, totaled throu marks. While the senior's wc bled, his ERA certainly has i His ERA is now 1.87, whi accomplished during a junic as a freshman and stood 2.3 Hilliard'S turnabout with impressive to those with ba has the talent to be a pro," sa to a Yankee scout the other the stuff to earn a chance." Richardson was unable to 4 liard's development to mounc he has always pitched well bi season. "Baseball's a funny game..a but if you don't score he h and he can't pick up a win," Richardson continued, "B liard thought this was going Apparently he was right, bi any concrete explanations fo if my pitching itself is any b4 ERA is not quite as good as i low. "I suppose we've just gol defense has been strong. I'v said Hilliard. Although this might be H his career has seen many n The Citadel the Greenville.) striking out 17 batters enr fanned 210 batters in 214 ca Hilliard's six wins this ye break the school's mark fo by Joe Grugan who won eight ing on the Gamecock sch< perhaps three more starts i mark. While it may be difficult t< Hihlard's 1973 success it cc law of averages. And when Hilliard has, things eventual 0a oight Carolina's winning ways enabled them to return to their daring on the basepaths, with the G mecocks stealing 15 base. .aring the last three out ings. The big theft was a double steal which saw Frank Matusek taking home after Bruce Pud lock's lead of second. While Carolina was produc ing 14 hits to gain sevd% scores, Hilliard was limiting Furman to just five hits to obtain his blank ing. Winning ie Change E PARKER i Editor time was running out for him r attract the attention of any ree seasons as a Gamecock he sive earned run averages but compile a winning record on ages may draw a glance from y to win that draws attention. changed the story on himself ERA with a superb won-loss iy chance of playing pro ball, to have to be my year," said ite a bit to make this his sea :hool record for shutouts with Wednesday for his fourth, he ery pitching statistic, and he tories, more than pitching sen year. in direct contrast to his career gh seasons of 3-4, 2-3, and 2-3 n-lost standing may have dou lot. ch compares to his best total or season of 1.59. He wa.s 3.24 L while a sophomore. the art of winning has been seball knowledge. "I think he d Coach Richardson. "I talked day and he said that he has xplain the reasons behind Hil I mastery. "It's a strange thing, it yet he's never had a winning A guy can pitch well most days as to leave for a pinch-hitter added Richardson. efore the season started Hil to be his year." it even Hilliard could not offer r his about-face. "I don't know atter," said the southpaw, "My t has been, but it is still pretty more runs for me, plus our e just had good team support," 11liard's first winning season, silestones. Last season versus iative tied a school record by Dute to a 6-0 victory. He has reer innings of work. ar give him an opportunity to r wins in a season, now held in 1940. With 13 games remain ~dule, Hilliard should draw n which to make a run at the figure out the reasons behind uld simply be a matter of the you've had the averages that ly have to swing your way.