PC-South Carolina Box Score
COLUMBIA, S.C. ? South Carolina's Reese Havens singled to center field in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Gamecocks a 2-1 victory over Presbyterian College on Monday evening at Sarge Frye Field.
Havens' single scored Adam Crisp, who had come in to pinch run for Phil Disher. Crisp had been placed in scoring position by Disher's double off the wall in left centerfield.
The Blue Hose dropped to 5-6 on the year with the loss, while fifth-ranked South Carolina improved to 9-2 on the season with the win. The extra-inning game was the second consecutive for the Blue Hose.
PC led the contest for five innings before South Carolina scored its first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The Blue Hose got on the scoreboard first in the contest in the top of the third inning when starting catcher William Bolchoz (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) nailed South Carolina pitcher Craig Thomas' offering over the left field fence to give PC a 1-0 advantage. It was the second home run of the year for Bolchoz.
In the bottom half of the same inning, PC starting pitcher Daniel Hill (Matthews, N.C.) got himself into a jam by allowing a single to Whit Merrifield and then walking the next two batters to load the bases for the Gamecocks.
With one out and the bases jammed, Hill proved he was up to the challenge. Hill struck out the three and four batters in succession for South Carolina to leave three on base for USC and keep PC ahead in the game, 1-0.
The final strikeout for Hill in the inning came against 2008 Preseason All-American Justin Smoak. Smoak had worked Hill to a full count, but the junior pitcher caught Smoak looking to end the threat in the inning.
Hill did it again in the bottom of the fourth inning. Hill had allowed the Gamecocks to load the bases with two outs for the second consecutive inning, but was able to keep the Gamecocks scoreless once again.
This time he forced Gamecock leadoff hitter Reese Havens to fly out to left field to end the threat. Havens' fly out left six South Carolina batters stranded in the bottom of the third and fourth innings.
The Gamecocks tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning when Kyle Enders laced a single to right field off PC pitcher Mitchell Odom (Oconee, Ga.), who had just replaced Hill. The single scored South Carolina's Scott Wingo, who had opened the inning for USC by being hit by a Hill pitch to get on base.
The run would be all that South Carolina would score. The inning concluded with Disher hitting a foul ball that was amazingly brought in by the bullpen gates by PC second baseman Robbie Anders (Greenville, S.C.).
Jesse Harmon (Newberry, S.C.) was given the loss for PC. He was the third Blue Hose pitcher in the contest. All three allowed the nationally-ranked Gamecocks just eight hits.
Hill pitched four and one-third of an inning, striking out four, while Odom pitched four innings. He struck out two. Harmon struck out two in his two innings of work.
South Carolina's Curtis Johnson claimed the victory. He pitched the final four and one-third of an innings for USC, striking out six. Thomas, who started the game for the Gamecocks, struck out a career-best six in five and two-thirds on an inning.
The Gamecocks left 13 on base, while PC left four.
The Blue Hose next play another team from the SEC when they take on the Tennessee Volunteers at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12 at Robert M. Lindsay Field at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn.
