College of Charleston
South Carolina
No. 2 South Carolina Pushes Past CofC Baseball, 4-2
3/26/2014 2:17:00 AM | Baseball
COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 2 South Carolina scored four runs in the first two innings en route to a 4-2 win over the College of Charleston on a frigid Tuesday night at Carolina Stadium.
The Cougars (16-8) played their fourth game in a row against one of the nation's top five pitching staffs, while South Carolina (20-3) won its third consecutive game in the series with CofC.
Carolina starter Taylor Widener went 3.0 innings in his second career start, while Josh Reagan (3-0) picked up the win with a four-inning relief appearance. Adding in Vince Fiori and Cody Mincey, all four USC pitchers that saw action had entered the game without allowing an earned run in 2014. CofC tallied the first runs off Reagan and Mincey this season.
CofC's freshman starter Tyler Thornton (0-2) allowed four runs on eight hits to pick up his second loss of the season. He did record a season-high four strikeouts while only walking one batter, and pitched well from the third inning on. Junior reliever Chase Henry had a strong relief outing to keep the margin close, finishing the game with three shutout innings and three strikeouts.
“I was pleased with how Tyler responded to those first two innings,” head coach Monte Lee said. “He really settled in and responded well to adversity. Chase Henry was outstanding in his three innings. Our offense has faced some of the best arms in the country over the last four games, but we have to do a better job of creating opportunities earlier in the game.”
South Carolina set the tone early by tallying four runs on five hits in the first two innings. Joey Pankake knocked an RBI single in the first inning, and then hit a two-RBI double in the second inning to put USC up 4-0. Pankake finished with three RBIs and three hits to lead the Gamecock offense. Elliott Caldwell recorded two hits and USC's fourth RBI in the contest.
Charleston mounted a two-out rally in the top of the sixth frame as Brandon Murray and Gunnar Heidt reached on a hit-by-pitch and a walk. Carl Wise then tallied his team-best 23rd RBI with a single through the left side, scoring Murray. However, South Carolina threw out Heidt trying to steal third to end the threat.
Blake Butler picked up his second walk of the game in the 8th inning, advancing to second after a two-out walk by Heidt. But Wise couldn't come through with another two-out RBI as he grounded out to short to end the inning.
For the fourth game in a row, CofC looked to rally in the ninth inning as Austin Bello led off the frame with a walk and then came home on a two-out RBI single from Morgan Phillips, making it 4-2. Phillips advanced to second on a wild pitch, but Ben Boykin struck out on a 3-2 pitch as the game's potential tying run.
College of Charleston opens CAA play this weekend when Northeastern comes to town for CofC's first conference series in the new league. First pitch against the Huskies will be Friday, March 28 at 6 p.m.
