Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

Pressure Performance The success of the Gamecock baseball team in Statesboro, (;a. t his weekend gives USC fans a lot of hope for their team's chances of making it to Omaha for the college baseball World Series. The outlook was not bright as the Gamecocks departed for Georgia Southern where the Eagles seldom lose. Unbeaten pitcher Raymond Lavigne was not expected to be able to pitch at all in the series. Catcher Greg Keatley was suffering from a broken finger he received in the Clemson game. Earl Bass had pitched the Clemson game and would not have sufficient rest to pitch against the Eagles. Jeff Grantz was going through what was probably the worst slump of his career, as his average dropped to .220. Carolina faced one of the finest pitchers in the Southeast in Pete Manos in the series opener on Friday night M:nos kept the Gamecock hitters off stride as he changed speeds often and used a good curve ball to keep USC lunging at pitches all night. Though Carolina got eight hits off Manos, they never had him on the ropes at all. Carolina lost the game 6-2 and things did not look good for USC. Coach Bobby Richardson has said this year's team has impressed him with their poise and their determination. And it was certainly a determined group of athletes that faced Georgia Southern in the last two games of the series on Saturday. Despite having their 17 game winning streak broken on Friday night, the Gamecocks went out and started a new streak on Saturday with a sweep of the twinbill. And though it was a solid team effort that ultimately produced the victories, -everal Ganfcocks like Hank Small, Steve King, Garry lancock, Jim Pankovits, Steve Cook and Mark Van Bever fattened their averages on the Eagle's pitching. Two Gamecocks played despite injury and iiness as catcher Keatley caught all three games and pitcher Lavigne was a surprise starter who three five scoreless innings in what Georgia Southern coach Ron Polk called "a real gutsy per formance." Grantz continued to have trouble at the plate, but it appeared to have no effect on his defensive play at second base. Birdbrain The only flaw in what appeared to he an outstanding college basehall program at Georgia Southern was the appearance of a Georgia Southern mascot, a student dressed as an eagle, (iu e iy di>ove the USC dugout on a wooden perch. The bird continually harassed Richardson and his athletes in the l-riday night opener and generally conducted himself (itself) in a manner most would call 'bush.' The Gamecocks found a way to silence the eagle on Saturday as they jumped out to four -run Ieads in each game. Baseball "No Shows" For those who are questioning the quality of the USC schedule this spring, it should be known that both Florida State and South Alabama were scheduled to come to Columbia this spring to play the Gamecocks. Carolina went to play at both of these schools last season and it was a gentlemen's agreement that both schools would return the visit. Florida State changed coaches this season and the new coach, Woody Woodward, said he couldn't honor any previous commitments made by his predecessor. That sounds plausible. Eddic Stanky coaches at South Alabama and said he could not allord to b>ring his squzad to Columbia, citing economic cutbacks. You have to do better than that. Eddie. Tlourniamemnt I losts? TIhere is ani e'xcellenIt chance t hat the NCA.A will choose I JS(' as Ihe site for one of. the regional playoffs in May. If the 'itadel holds on to win the Southern (Conference and ('lemson wins t he A(C '('ournamienit you canI ima~gineC the crlowds t hat this re'gional would dIraw at the H{ex Enright Field. The ho(st school miust be one of the teams in the regional and since the I iniversit y does not hold classes in May, t here would be plent y of housing for the athletes from other schools right at the l(oust USC takel series witi BY PETE FEHELEY Sports Editor The Gamecock baseball team took a giant step toward a NCAA playoff berth by sweeping Georgia Southern Saturday, 8-2 and 7-4, after losing to the Eagles 6-2 on Friday night. Carolina took the weekend series by pounding out 25 hits in Satur day's doubleheader as they broke from a prolonged hitting slump in which the team batting average fell to .290, down more than 30 points from April 1 statistics. "This doubleheader sweep is a real credit to our guys, our hitters were really attacking the ball today," USC coach Bobby Richardson said. He added, "after losing a tough game Friday night to them, our guys showed their poise by coming back strong today." There were plenty of heroes Saturday ani Carolina's double victory brought their season mark to 32-3. In the opener, Jim Pankovits hit shots off Eagle starter Bob Gerdes every trip to the plate. Pankovits had a double, triple and home run as he collected four RBI's in the first game. "He kept throwing me sliders and he was keeping the ball up high on me, and I was able to get some good rips," Pankovits said. Pankovits doubled home Garry Hancock and Hank Small in the first inning to give USC a 2-0 lead. Then he unloaded a blast over the fence in left with Small on base to make it a 4-0 Gamecock ad vantage. Georgia Southern got two of those runs back in their half of the fifth off Carolina starter Tim Lewis. But USC came back in the sixth with an outburst of runs that iced the game for them. With one out, Jim Fleming walked and scored on Mark Van Baseball team plays tonight The Gamecock baseball team begins a seven-game homestand tonight with a twilight doubleheader begin ning at 5 p.m. with a nine innmng game with the Wofford Terriers, a makeup of an April 11 rainout. The second game will have Newberry College providing the opposition. Earl Bass will start against Newberry and either Mike ('romer or Chuck McLean will open against Wofford. On Tuesday, the Davidson Wildcats of the Southern Conference come to Columbia for a 7:30 p.m. game. Greg Ward will probably be the Gsamecocwk's starting pitcher. Baptist ('ollege of Charleston conmes to town on Wednesday for a 3i p.mi. game with Tim l.ewis expected to open for (arolinia. The Ganuecocks defeated Baptist 7-6 In the season's opener in Charleston on Fe'b. 2M. - Ga. Soutl i twinbill s Jim Pankovitis Bever's double to deep rightfield. After Hancock bounced out, Small drew a walk and Steve King came to bat. King homered to drive in three niore runs and finish the scoring for the first game. "I knew I could hit that guy (Gerdes)) all day, I'm just glad we had some runners on when I finally did hit him," King said. Lewis needed last-out relief from Chuck McLean as he suffered a muscle pull in his back and was forced to leave the game. McLean struck out the Eagle's Mike Moore to end the game and give Lewis his eighth win of the year against no defeats. Lewis said after the game he did not expect to miss his next start because of the injury. The Gamecocks received a big boost in the second game when Raymond Lavigne took the mound in his 'first start since April 7. Lavigne has been sidelined with a virus infection, though initially it was believed to be mononucleosis. The righthander hooked up in a pitching duel with the Eagles' Barry Beck as they traded goose eggs for four innings In the fifth. Fleming came to bat with the base: loaded and brought USC's Steve Cook home with a sacrifice fly. Carolina got three more in the sixth as Pankovits singled home Hancock and Cook followed with a long double to center that scored King and Pankovits. USC hitten Gamecock baseball coach Bobby Richardson is happy to win any time. but winning the weekend series at Ge(orgiaI Southern was something more than just two more numb)ers in the victory column. "Ron Polk has built a fine baseball program down here and we haven't had much success at this place in recent years. They will be losing a fine basebalp man when Ron leaves here after this season." Richardson said. Richardson was pleased with the performance of his pitching staff. "i,avigne pitched well considering his layoff and (Chuck McLean was outstanding in relief. Tim's (I.ewis I pe'trforance speaks for itself." he said. In r&ference to the Gamecock's awakening at the plate. Richard son said the caliber of the Georgia Souithern pit ching had ai great e'ffect on that situation. "O(ur club plays in accordance with the qluality of our opposition and I think our hitters were more mentally alert against this team because thev bad to he in orern to spo( rts iern weep Chuck McLean Lavigne tired in the Eagle's half of the sixth and again Richardson called on McLean to put out the fire. "I asked Raymond to go five innings if he could, but when he retired the side in order in the fifth, I thought he might make it through one more inning," Richardson said. McLean held the Eagles to one run in the sixth and Carolina scored what proved to be the winning runs in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Small and a run scoring double by King. Lavigne picked up the win, his seventh of the year against no defeats. USC lost the series opener on Friday night, 6-2, as they faced a tough pitcher in Pete Manos, the ace of the Georgia Southern staff. Manos scattered eight hits and walked only one batter as he snapped the Gamecock winning streak at 17. Carolina starter Greg Ward, 8-2, took the loss as he was charged with four earned runs. Mike Cromer finished up for Carolina, allowing only four hits, one of those being a two-run homer by the Eagle's Mike Moore. Georgia Southern coach Ron Polk announced his resignation after Saturday's double defeat, effective at the end of the season. Polk said he wanted to get out of a situation where he had to teach courses as well as coach and recruit for the baseball team. awaken Steve - .xKing win," Richardson said. Richardson had some support for that premise from outfielder Steve King. "Georgia Southern had three good pitchers, especially Manos, sand we would rather hit against good pitching any time. You concentrate more, you have to bear dIown wen'f \ ou are facing a good pitcher an~d we sure did that today, King said. Are the Gamecocks out of their hitting slump? "I think we are on the right track now, everybody had some good shots this series and we know the pitching is going to be tougher the further we advance in the playoffs." King said. Two pitchersi named Gerdes and Reck won't argue about that.