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THE GAMECOCK ♦ Wednesday, June 23, 2004 9 FIGURE OF THE WEEK CONTACT US 8: A new College World Series record eight batters were E-mail us at gamecocksports@gwm.sc.edu hit by pitches during the Texas-Arkansas game. Carolina staves off elimination BY BRAD SENKIW THE GAMECOCK When it comes to having your back against the wall, the USC baseball team (52-16) is in a fa miliar position after the first three games of the College World Series in Omaha. Carolina was shut out in its first game against Cal State Fullerton before stay ing alive with wins over LSU and Miami. Cal St. Ful. 2, USCO The Gamecocks kept their CWS tradition alive by not scor ing in the last four appearances in the first round in Omaha, dat ing back to 1985. Carolina’s Matt Campbell gave his team a chance to win with his pitching per formance, but the Gamecock of fense ran into a wall with Cal State Fullerton’s Jason Windsor. The right-handed senior pitched a complete game, allowing only three hits and no runs. Windsor walked four but struck out 14 bat ters. Campbell went five and two third innings for Carolina, giving up two runs on four hits. Jason Fletcher pitched the rest of the way for USC and allowed only one hit while striking out three. Cal State Fullerton (43-21) got on the board in the fourth inning when Danny Dora doubled to score the Titans best hitter, Kurt Suzuki. Suzuki was held to one hit on the day. The Titans added their second and final run in the sixth when Justin Turner was walked with the bases loaded by Fletcher, scoring Bobby Andrews. Carolina blew several oppor tunities, leaving seven men on base. Michael Campbell picked up a pair of hits off Windsor and Brendan Winn recorded the only other hit. The Gamecocks blew scoring opportunities in the fifth and eighth innings as Tolleson struck out both times to end the Gamecock rally. USC 15, LSU 4 Carolina once again bounced back from a shutout loss to blast LSU, eliminating the Tigers for the second straight year. The Gamecock bats exploded for 19 hits and 15 runs. “That happens at all levels,” USC head coach Ray Tanner said about the blowout. “I kept think ing ‘where was one of those runs FILE PHOTO BY JOEL WALLACE/THE GAMECOCK USC’s Michael Campbell has 5 hits and 2 RBis in Omaha. Saturday?’” Steve Pearce went 4-for-5 with two RBIs, as Kevin Melillo added four hits and an RBI. Rarely used designated hitter Nick Gardiner added a pair of RBIs that helped put the Tigers away. USC’s Aaron Rawl (13-4) recorded the win for the Gamecocks after going six and two-third innings and giving up ♦ OMAHA, SEE PAGE 10 Georgia remains in Omaha to face Texas BY ERIC OLSON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS OMAHA, NEB. — Georgia’s re ward for eliminating Arizona from the College World Series is at least one more game with top seeded Texas. “We can’t even enjoy this for a little bit, huh?” Georgia coach David Perno said after the Bulldogs beat the Wildcats 3-1 on Tuesday. “I guess that’s where we have to go next.” Michael Hyle pitched six shutout innings and Marshall Szabo had three hits, including a double and triple, to set up a re match with the Longhorns. The Bulldogs (45-22) lost 9-3 to Texas on Sunday and would have to beat the Longhorns twice, on Wednesday and Thursday, to ad vance to this weekend’s best-of three championship round. “We’re better than we showed Sunday night, and our players want a shot to go out and prove it,” Pemo said. Arizona (36-27-1) went 1-2 in its first CWS appearance since 1986, with both its losses coining against Georgia. Hyle (8-2) scattered six hits, walked two and struck out five before leaving one batter into the seventh inning. Will Startup fin ished to earn his 12th save of the season and second of the CWS. Arizona’s Kevin Guyette (6-8) gave up two runs and seven hits over 61/3 innings. “There are a few pitches I wish I could have back,” Guyette said. “You have to give the credit to their pitchers. They outpitched us today, and that’s what won the game for them today.” Georgia scored twice in the third. Josh Smith led off with a double and scored on Szabo’s base hit. Szabo later came home on Joey Side’s single. The Wildcats broke through in the seventh against Startup, who came on after Hyle walked ♦ GEORGIA, SEE PAGE 10 Call it a hunch - USC can win out It’s just after 3 p.m. on Tuesday, and since crisis brings out the best in me, I’m just now getting around to writing my column. I’ve been struggling to come up with a topic as a resist of the sit uation in which I find myself, which can be di rectly attributed to the situation the Gamecocks JOEL face in the WALLACE College World Fourth-year Series. print you see, The journalism Gamecock student comes out on Wednesdays uui mg me simmici, yviuui mccuia we have to submit most stories by 5 p.m. The USC baseball team takes on the Miami Hurricanes at 7 p.m. tonight. See how that pres ents a problem for someone want ing to write a column about USC baseball in the CWS? Fortunately, I have a solution. I could just write two columns, one for a USC victory and one for a de feat. However, since I’m already pressed for time, and I am ex tremely lazy, this is all you’re go ing to get. The part that s lucKy tor me is this: I am absolutely, 100 percent, supremely confident that USC will beat Miami tonight and earn the chance to do the unthinkable by beating Cal St. Fullerton two days in a row and making it to the national championship. How can I be so sure? For one, history is on my side. USC beat Miami in 2002 in the Super Regional to eliminate them from the postseason. The Gamecocks ♦ WALLACE, SEE PAGE 10