COLUMBIA, S.C. - Freshman lefthander Beau Dees (Blenheim, S.C.) gave the Presbyterian College baseball team a starting debut to remember against the No. 3 South Carolina Gamecocks on Tuesday evening, but the Gamecocks scored twice early to escape with a narrow win, 2-1.
PC moves to 0-8 on the year. South Carolina improves to 7-0.
Dees provided a sterling outing against the defending national champions in his first career start, allowing only four hits and two runs through seven and a third innings. He also struck out five, tying a Blue Hose season-high.
The freshman took the loss but left the game in the eighth to widespread applause from the Carolina Stadium crowd.
PC scored one in the first inning while the Gamecocks posted one run each in the third and the fourth to take the win.
Tony Micklon (Sumter, S.C.) led the Blue Hose at the plate, going 2-for-4 and driving in PC's lone run.
Nolan Belcher earned the win for South Carolina in two and a third innings of relief. Tyler Webb retired the final batter for the save. Evan Marzilla went 2-for-4 for the Gamecocks, driving in one RBI.
PC struck immediately, scoring a run on the Gamecocks in the opening inning. Gabe Grammer (Irmo, S.C.) led off with a single and Andrew Williams (Irmo, S.C.) took a pitch off the shoulder to put two aboard with nobody out.
Jay Lizanich (Greer, S.C.) laid down a sacrifice bunt to put Grammer 90 feet from paydirt and Micklon cashed in, blooping a single to shallow right to put the Blue Hose on the board.
A Gamecock double play ended the inning as the Blue Hose took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the first.
South Carolina tied the game in the third, using a TJ Costen leadoff double to deep centerfield and an Evan Marzilla RBI groundout to first to pull even, 1-1.
In the fourth, Brandon Paul (Augusta, Ga.) made an impressive catch on a deep fly to right that kept the bases clear, but Joey Pankake then hit a pitch over the left field fence for a solo home run and gave South Carolina the lead, 2-1.
South Carolina appeared to have PC on the ropes in the eighth after Dees left the mound, loading the bases with two outs. Freshman Michael Ricchi (McKinney, Texas) entered from the bullpen and got the Blue Hose out of the jam, however, forcing a flyout to end the inning and leave the bags full of Gamecocks.
The Blue Hose could not find another run in the ninth as the home side held on for the win.
PC opens the home portion of its schedule on Wednesday against Wofford at the PC Baseball Complex. The first pitch is slated for 2 p.m.
South Carolina 2, Presbyterian College 1 (Feb 28, 2012 at Columbia, S.C.)
--------------------------------------------------------Presbyterian College 100 000 000 - 1 5 0 (0-8)
South Carolina...... 001 100 00X - 2 4 0 (7-0)
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Pitchers: Presbyterian College - DEES, Beau; MORRIS, Ryan(8); RICCHI, Michael(8) and SWAB, Robby
. South Carolina - Montgomery; Belcher(5); Carter(7); Webb(9) and Greiner.
Win-Belcher(1-0) Save-Webb(1) Loss-DEES, Beau(0-1) T-2:06 A-6521
HR SC - Pankake (1).
