Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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.sports *USC beats Ti Two-run si LBy Johnny Boggs Pinch hitter Pete Fisher's two-run eighth inning single gave USC's baseball team a 4-3 win over Clemson yesterday and a series split with the Tigers. Fisher, who had only batted six times during the season, came to bat against Clemson reliever Donnie Hoover with two outs and the bases loaded. The junior from West Columbia pulled a 1-1 pitch down the rightfield line to score Harvey Heise and Greg Morhardt. THE VICTORY improves Carolina's record to 31-9 heading into the final six S regular season games. The Tigers, who beat USC 8-1 Saturday, closed its season with a 30-20-1 mark. "We need at least a split in these final games," USC Head Coach June Raines said. "That would give us 12 losses and 39 wins, and that's a good record. Hopefully, we'll do better than that. "Right now, we are 31-9 and that's better than .750 ball. I know that's only 40 games, but we've had 11 rainouts. Anytime you get into May with only nine losses, you've got to be playing pretty good. ifljhfT I m aM Clemson's Brooks Shumake dives I Hi Morhardt awaits the throw from pitcher 4-3. Carolina pinch h I role as yesterd By Johnny Boggs I. a USC baseball player Pete Fisher colu lected one hit yesterday he says he'll . remember for a long time. .. The hit came in the eight inning, 1 when the Gamecocks trailed 3-2 against Clemson. Fisher hit for Art w Finley with two outs and the bases w loaded against pitcher Donnie Hoover, U ' A "tt-nol/ rvnt r'liric Rnvlf" fllifl IVY II (J llclU dli w??. ... ? ~ _ Kent Anderson. The West Columbia native rapped a two-run single that barely stayed fair 1 to score Harvey Heise and Greg Morhardt and give Carolina a 4-3 win ^ H over the upstate rivals. 1 "That'll be one of the biggest hits I'll remember for a long time," Fisher " said. ) ' Despite the situation. Fisher said he wasn't nervous when he stepped into ^ Uoftor'j) Kr%V IlllC uanvi .i "I'rr> pretty much a contact hitter," he said. "I just wanted to hit it J somewhere. I knew we had three more <outs if I didn't get a hit. ^ "When you have men on base, you've got to hit the ball somewhere. I ( just wanted to make contact. If I hit it i ' ' " 4 ~x urall f hot y Inara dui rigni ai sumuwujf, ??*,?., ??.?v would be the breaks." { igers 4-3 ngle in eighth inr "There are teams that are going to lose 15, S 16, 17 and 18 ballgames and still be in the playoffs. I believe we belong in the top 20. 'If We've just got to prove it in these last few ballgames." THE 15TH-RANKED Gamecocks took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. John Sullivan and Heise walked, and || Sullivan scored when Morhardt reached first || safely on first baseman Bob Paulling's | throwing error. h The Tigers took the lead in the third inning fcf on Tim MrCollom's ninth home run of the S year ? a three-run shot that scored Scott Powers and Brooks Shumake. USC starting pitcher Gary Parmenter, who picked up the win against the Tigers Thursday, was pulled after giving up a double to Shumake in the seventh. MIKE WERNER came on in relief to pitch | 22/5 of hitless baseball. The Dunedin, Fla., r native relieved Mike Cook in Saturday's game against Clemson and was shelled for five hits and five runs. The senior left-hander said he was out "to redeem myself" yesterday. a rH; r t Tv-;^r- ::k. :\ '' \ ; -'^"j C I Photo by Johnny Boggs Dack safely to first base, as (JSC's Greg Mike Werner. USC won yesterday's game litter enjoys i ^ n o 1^ ^ 4^% )iia^Mi>>.iijiwivi??i say o iiciu Fisher said Hoover, a side-arm pitler, was "tough to hit. "He kept the ball down most of the me. That one pitch was up and in a tie, and I got in front of it. "I think had I got it on the barrel, I ould have pulled it too much, and it s^ttl/4 liown nratin fnnl UU1U lit* V V guuv 1V/U1* 8WBHBBM1K '4 I was watching it and hoping it was Ding to stay fair. I figured a base hit ould score two runs." A junior college transfer from Bapst College of Charleston, Fisher had nly batted six times prior to yesterday 'ith a batting average of .333 and one He said he hadn't expected to play luch this year and knew he was going 0 be mainly a pinch hitter. "I think Coach (June) Raines is kind ?f wary of my defense, but he told me would be used as a pinch hitter. shHH "I was expecting not to dress out nuch this year, but then (second >asemen) Jamey Thaw and Jeff "It'c tr*noh fn ri Hp fhp hpnrh. I nM especially when it's cold and you've W|f jot to go out and hit. But sometimes (JSC ! /ou've got to do things you don't want Satllfda :o do." mmmmKammtmmmmmammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmtmmmm ling keysGamet USC second baseman Art Finley puts a ihortstop Kent Anderson watches. Power: hird inning play, as Brooks Shumake w< "Coach Raines had confidence in me and hat picked me up a little,'' Werner saia. "A vas just trying to throw ground-ball pitches, was kind of leery of the home-run ball. "The difference between last night (Saturiay) and today (yesterday) was that I was hrowing the ball where I wanted to today. Last night, I threw it where they wanted it more or less." THE GAMECOCKS take a week off for final exams before playing host to Furman May 12. Carolina travels to face defending national champions Miami (Fla.) for a three-game series May 13-15. USC closes its regular season against Mercer May 18-19. "I think we need to win about 35 games to get into the playoffs," Werner said. "I don't think the rainouts will affect us much because there have been rainouts all over this year." ? ? ' in ?u:? ,mnr nas naa iu gmncs tantcicu nn? yccw because of rain ? including three against Miami. Werner said the Gamecocks are ready to play the Hurricanes. "WE WERE really looking forward to playing them and then the series was rained out," he said. "We're ready to go to their place. They have great fan support like we do. n the air soccer player Mike Kelt (4) watches two | y's second annual alumni soccer game p II 'in II I hi I wmmmmmmmmtmmmmammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm iocks to win : < 4^^^HHfiBSPal&d ^aWaaa^g^^WHBMlMfc.. - v iffr i m in w m j * <fl igagyiig 8fe&. JH Rteato^fe* ifwi^^iiilg^S * fcr g?P& JggjK ^^BBhhIMBB -** J pBtiH^^HBHr .rg^B Si i''WS' Jt^Fm " ':;? IBg^^^^HflBHttv.: vJu.' iSHIflH W > I^TIP^P .. > - .4 **1' fflntfiiii rm in1 ?mriTiirTt rrf tir rlf Miiiiftii Photo by Johnny 8oggs late tag on Clemson's Scott Powers as 5 didn't receive credit for a steal on the is walked on the pitch. "But our first game now is against Furman and we can't look ahead." Werner picked up the win yesterday ? his sixth against no defeats. Clemson's first reliever, Tim Rice, fell to 6-4 with the loss. Morhardt paced USC at the plate with a single and a double, while Scott Mackie add ed two singles. PAULLING SET a record for the Tigers when he singled in the second inning. It was his 80th hit for the season. The junior from St. Matthews added a - single in the sixth. Powers had two singles in a losing effort for Clemson. In Saturday's game, Clemson broke open a one-run game in the sixth inning with eight runs, including three homers. THREE TIGER players hit home runs off three USC pitchers, and Bill Wilhelm's squad cruised to its first win over Carolina at Sarge Frye Field since 1979. Cook, 7-3, took the loss for the Gamecocks. Werner and junior Robby Coker also pitched for USC. The series drew 11,700 spectators, the largest of the season for Carolina. iBB ' B^' Wi "' ^ i 'M Photo by Johnny Boggs players battle for possession of the ball in flayed at "the Graveyard."