The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 27, 2001, Page 10, Image 10
Gamecock Sports Schedule
■ Track and field at Pennsylvania (Penn Relays), Friday-Saturday
■ Baseball vs. Auburn, 7 p.m. Friday
■ Softball vs. Alabama (doubleheader), 1 p.m. Saturday
■ Baseball vs. Auburn, 4 p.m. Saturday
%ht (Bamecock fr1day, apr.l 27,2001
Gamecocks leave Tigers all wet
Aaron Hark/The Gamecock
USC’s Michael Floyd scored the game-winning run in Wednesday night’s win at Clemson. The junior out
fielder came home after Tiger pitcher Steve Reba committed an error while throwing to first.
■ Rain doesn't stop Carolina from winning
season series for second consecutive year
by Darrah Densmore
The Gamecock
USC’s baseball team took a 2-1 lead
on a Drew Meyer home run and a
throwing error by Clemson pitcher Steve
Reba, and then the rain came.
Two hours later, after it appeared the
game would be called, play resumed, and
thanks to excellent relief pitching
from David Marchbanks and Lee
Gronkiewicz, the Gamecocks hung on
to their lead to defeat Clemson before
5,665 fans at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
With the victory, Carolina improved
to 32-13 and won the season series with
the Tigers for the second consecutive
year 3-1. Carolina has now won five of
the past six games against Clemson. The
12th-ranked Tigers fell to 29-16, with
starter Reba (8-2) taking the loss, allowing
both Carolina runs on three hits in five
innings of work.
After Reba and Gamecock starter
Chris Spigner held their opponents
scoreless for the first three innings, the
Gamecocks got on the board in the top
of the fourth when Meyer homered to
right field for his fourth career home run
against the Tigers and his second this
year.
The Tigers answered in the bottom
of the inning. Kyle Frank scored when
Spigner picked up Michael Johnson’s
soft grounder and fired it over third
baseman Chris Plummer’s head and into
left field. The wild throw was enough to
get Spigner the hook, and Blake Taylor
came in with runners at second and third
and no outs in a tied ballgame.
Taylor got out of the jam by striking
out Khalil Greene and Russell Triplett
and then getting Ryan Riley to pop out
to Meyer at shortstop. Home plate
umpire Jeff Cox erroneously called
Triplett out after the second strike, which
drew jeers from the largely pro-Clemson
crowd, but the gaffe was inconsequential.
Taylor would strike out Triplett on the
next pitch.
Taylor (3-2) pitched 1 2/3 innings of
hitless ball to earn the victory.
Gronkiewicz earned his 11th save of the
year by pitching the final 2 2/3 innings.
He allowed only one hit and struck out
four while preserving a one-run lead.
In the top of the fifth, the Gamecocks
would score what turned out to be the
winning run on a throwing error by Reba
With one out, Michael Floyd singled to
left, stole second, and then Tripp Kelly
walked. Plummer tried to sacrifice the
runners over, but Reba’s throw to first
was wide of the bag, allowing Floyd to
score. Kelly also headed for home, but
was caught with relative ease.
Heavy rains halted play at 8:36 p.m.,
and as lightning became a factor, it
appeared the game might not resume
at all. The downpour ceased about 9:15
but lightning caused the delay to be
lengthened. Play resumed at about 10:46.
The Tigers’ last real threat came in
the bottom of the seventh when they
2
1
had runners on second and third with
one out, but Gronkiewicz fanned Chad
Coder and got Casey Stone to ground
out to retire the side.
The Gamecocks did no better against
Clemson freshman reliever Patrick
Hogan, who handcuffed Carolina with
four innings of two-hit baseball. There
were only 10 hits in the game, five each
for Carolina and Clemson.
The victory was Gamecock head
coach Ray Tanner's 200th at USC and
increased his record against the Tigers
to 7-6.
After the game, the MVPs of the
season series were selected and presented
with awards named for longtime sports
information directors at their respective
schools. The recipient of the Tom Price
Award for USC was Meyer, and
Clemson's Jeff Baker won the Bob
Bradley award.
Carolina faces a crucial three
game SEC series against the red-hot
Auburn Tigers in Columbia starting
Friday. Auburn, which started 0-9 in
league play, has won 11 of its past 12
SEC games to move ahead of the
Gamecocks in the overall standings.
The sports desk can be reached at
gamecocksports@hotmail.com
Matthews throws perfect game
■ Strong pitching results
in sweep of Coastal Carolina
by Kyle Almond
The Gamecock
It wasn’t exactly the greatest environment for a softball
pitcher to perform at her best, but USC’s Megan Matthews
made the most of it.
The junior pitcher from Greer fought
off cold, rainy conditions at Coastal
Carolina on Wednesday to pitch her first
career perfect game and lead the
Gamecocks to a 8-0 win in the process.
The No. 23 Gamecocks (35-16-1)
swept both games of the doubleheader
Wednesday, winning the second game
6-1. Matthews
In the opener, USC jumped out in
front of the Chanticleers (22-21) with seven runs in the second
inning, taking advantage of three Coastal errors. After RBIs
from Samantha Jennings and Joyce McMillin, sophomore
Adrianna Baggetta cranked a three-run home run to left center
field to blow the game wide open and give Matthews (18-11)
six more runs than she would need.
The ace right-hander made it look easy in game one,
striking out 10 batters in the shortened five-inning affair. It
was her fourth career no-hitter, with her last one coming
against South Florida last season.
“I felt really good out there today, despite the cold,”
Matthews said.
In game two, USC again benefited from its opponents’
mistakes in the field. Jodi Fittro scored an unearned run in
the third inning to put the Gamecocks on top.
hi the next inning, Danielle Quinones hit a two-run double
to left field, scoring Adrienne Genovese and Jennings.
Carolina padded its lead to 4-0 in the fifth inning and
added a pair of runs in the sixth inning to seal the sweep. The
Chants committed nine errors during the two games, with
four in the first game and five in the second.
As game two progressed, it looked as if USC’s other
pitcher, Stacey Johnson, would follow in Matthews’ no-hit
footsteps. But Coastal’s Holly Lee ended that chance, hitting
Softball see page u
Men’s soccer battles injuries,
pro teams during spring season
by Kyle Almond
The Gamecock
The USC men’s soccer team has
been bruised and battered this spring,
with four players undergoing major
suigery, but head coach Mark Berson
is keeping a positive outlook.
“It has been a trying time for us with
injuries,” Berson said Tuesday, “but it’s
not the worst thing in the world. It gives
the younger guys a chance to step up
and show versatility that could help us
in the later stages of next season.”
Goalkeeper Michael Bachmeyer
(knee), forward Alex Balasco (broken
leg), and defenders Ryan Stocking (knee)
and Tim Glowienka (hernia) have all
been on the sliclf at some time this spring
for Carolina, which lias played a handful
of exhibition games over the past two
months. However, their coidi is blinking
optimistically.
“It kind of was good in that it tested
our mental discipline,” Berson said.
“Because of that, the team got better.
‘It has been a trying time for
: us with injuries ... but it’s not
I the worst thing in the world. ’
■ Mark Berson
USC Men's Soccer Head Coach
Also, it was good that we got [the
surgeries] all out of the way. Players
should be able to play in summer
leagues.”
Balasco’s injury was the worst of
the group. The senior forward from
Roswell, Ga., suffered a compound
fracture March 21 in a game against the
Charleston Battery of the professional
A-Leaguc and will be out for a long
stretch.
“That was very disheartening for
Alex and our team,” Bcrson said of
Bakisco’s injury.
But injuries aside, the Gamcwcks
have taken advantage of some good
competition this spring, which included
play against the Battery, local colleges,
and Major League Soccer’s New England
Revolution.
“The spring is an extremely
important time for us,” Berson said. “We
use it to spend time on basic
fundamentals and also to reshape our
team because our seniors arc no longer
with us. |Thc spring] gives the young
players ;ui opportunity to step up and
show they c;ui take on responsibility.”
„ Soccer see page u.
Baseball hoping to climb
back into conference race
with wins over Auburn
by Steven Drummond
The Gamecock
With three weekends of baseball left
in the 2001 SEC regular season, nine
teams are battling it out for eight spots in
the SEC Tournament.
USC, last year’s SEC regular
season champion, is one of those teams.
The Gamecocks pulled out a victory last
Sunday at Georgia, which brought them
to a game under .500 in the SEC (10-11)
and improved their overall record to 31
13.
With nine conference games left, the
players know their postseason fate is in
their hands.
“We really don’t have to do anything
too big,” said Drew Meyer, USC’s starting
shortstop. “It’s not like we have to go
9-0 or anything like that. We just have to
win a majority of our games, and I think
it’s very possible.
“I think we’re on a streak now,”
Meyer added “Our bats are getting going,
our pitching is coming around Gary (Bell)
is throwing well, so I think we’re gonna
get moving.”
I he remaining i>fcG schedule tor the
Gamecocks includes two teams they are
competing against for a spot in the
conference tournament. Auburn rolls into
town this weekend to play a three
* game series at Saige Frye Field, and the
Gamecocks will finish the season at Florida
in two weeks.
This weekend’s series features an
Auburn team that has lost 10 straight to
USC. However, the Tigers have reeled
off 11 conference wins in 12 games since
starting the season 0-9 in the SEC.
Carolina needs to win at least six of
its last nine SEC gimes to ensure a winning
record in the conference. That should
also be enough to get the Gamecocks into
the NCAA Tournament.
A .500 conference record might be
enough to make the NCAAs because of
USC’s RP1, No. II unofficially. The
Gamecocks didn’t make the NCAA
‘We control our own
destiny, and that’s the
situation we want to
be in... We’re gonna
get it rolling.*
Brennan Dees
USC co-captain
Tournament in 1999 with a 15-15 league
record, but they were also ranked 44th
in the unofficial RPI.
“(If) we win six out of the nine (SEC)
games and go 3-0 in non-conference, that's
40 wins,” USC’s Brennan Dees said. “That
should be enough to host a regional in the
NCAAs.
“We control our own destiny, and
that’s the situation we want to be in. I’m
happy for this team. We’re gonna get it
rolling.”
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W -JV- 1IVUU WUVI1 1UIJ 11UUIV1 JIUU UUJ
year’s team has what it takes to make the
postseason.
“Wfc’re still in a situation where we’re
in control, and if we can get hot at the
right time, later on down the line we may
look back and say this was a good season,”
Tanner said. “I think we’ve got some
maturity on this team, and the guys
understand exactly what this conference
is all about.”
USC has lost four straight SEC series,
going a combined 3-9 against Alabama,
Mississippi State, LSU and Georgia. After
this weekend’s set, the Gamecocks will
host Kentucky before finishing with the
Gators.
Friday’s opener at Sargc Frye is
scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. List season’s
Golden Spikes Award winner Kip
Bouknight will gel the start.
The sports desk aui be reached at
gamecocksports@hotmail.com
■ LOCATION: Sarge Frye
Field
■ TIMES: 7 p.m. Friday, 4
•p.m. Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Sunday
■ RADIO: WVOC 560 AM
■ RECORDS: Auburn (31
12, 11-10 SEC), USC (32
13, 10-11)
-1
Eastern Division
SEC All
Tennessee 13-8 34-10
Georgia 12-9 28-15
use 10-11 32-13
Florida 10-11 26-20
Vanderbilt 7-14 20-23
Kentucky 5-16 18-27
Western Division
SEC All
Ole Miss 14-7 32-13
LSU 14-7 31-13
Miss. St. 14-7 28-15
Auburn 11-10 31-12
Alabama 10-11 26-19
Arkansas 6-15 21-25