The Blue Hose rallied back from a 4-2 deficit with a run in the ninth and looked to have the momentum, but the Gamecocks' closer, Tyler Webb, struck out the final two of three batters to help 12th-ranked South Carolina preserve the 4-3 win over the Presbyterian College baseball team tonight at Carolina Stadium in Columbia, S.C.
PC falls to 24-29 on the season, while SC improves to 38-14.
Tim Corbin had a solid performance on the mound for PC, going a season-high 7.1 innings and scattering nine hits and surrendering four runs in the loss (2-4). The Gamecocks' Patrick Sullivan earned the win, going 1.2 innings (2-0). Webb came into the game in the ninth and struck out two to record his 15th save of the year.
Brandon Paul, Nate Chong and Ryan Hagan each posted multiple hits for PC, with Jay Lizanich, Jacob Midkiff and Hagan picking up a RBI apiece.
Chase Vergason led South Carolina with his two RBI on the night.
Graham Saiko led off the bottom of the first with a single up the middle. He scored the next at-bat after Vergason laced a double down the right field line. He would go on to score three batters later after Grayson Greiner hit into a 463 double-play. It was the first of four double plays for PC, the next two ending the third and fourth Gamecock innings.
After Robby Swab flew out to center to lead off the second inning for PC , the Blue Hose recorded four straight singles, the last coming from Midkiff who beat out a slow roller to third, allowing Paul to score and cut South Carolina's lead to one, 2-1.
Lizanich tied the game in the top of the seventh with a ground out to second that plated Cam McRae, who had reached base off a SC error to lead off the inning.
The Gamecocks loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh and used sacrifice flies by Saiko and Vergason to give the home team the 4-2 lead and break the deadlock.
PC opened the ninth with a double to left by Chong. He advanced to third off a fly out to right by McRae and scored the team's third run after Hagan single to left field. That would be as close as the Blue Hose would get as the last batter struck out to end the rally.
PC is next in action at Gardner Webb for the final series of the regular season. The Blue Hose take on the Runnin' Bulldogs Thursday and Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m.
South Carolina 4, Presbyterian College 3 (May 14, 2013 at Columbia, S.C.)
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Presbyterian College 010 000 101 - 3 8 0 (24-29)
South Carolina...... 200 000 20X - 4 9 1 (38-14)
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Pitchers: Presbyterian College - CORBIN, Tim; MORRIS, Ryan(8) and SWAB, Robby. South Carolina -
Forrest Koumas; Evan Beal(4); Joel Seddon(6); Patrick Sullivan(7); Tyler Webb(9) and
Dante Rosenberg.
Win-Patrick Sullivan(2-0) Save-Tyler Webb(15) Loss-CORBIN, Tim(2-4) T-2:33 A-7827
Weather: 78, sunny, Wind - S 10 mph
Sullivan, P. faced 1 batter in the 9th.
Game: PC0514
