Gamecocks Collect 19 Hits In 17-2 Win

Columbia, S.C. - South Carolina collected 19 hits Saturday, Chris Brown and Jon Willard had four runs batted in each, and Zac McCamie allowed just two hits in seven innings in a 17-2 Southeastern Conference win over Georgia...

The Gamecocks took a 2-0 lead in the three game series with the final game scheduled for 1:30 p.m.., EDT, Sunday at Sarge Frye Field. The probable South Carolina starting pitcher is sophomore right-hander Jeff Jeffords, 0-0. Georgia is expected to start senior right-hander Sean Ruthven, 1-1.

The Saturday win boosted South Carolina's overall record to 23-5 and evened the Gamecocks' SEC mark at 4-4. Georgia dropped to 15-11, 2-5. McCamie improved his season record to 6-1. Georgia starter Michael Hyle, 1-2, was charged with the loss.

South Carolina scored an unearned run in the first inning, batted around to tally three in the third, and sent 11 batters to the plate in an eight run fifth to build a 12-2 lead. They added two runs in the sixth and three in the eighth before a crowd of 4,180 on a blustery, wind swept day.

Steve Pearce hit his seventh home run of the season with a runner on base in the fifth inning, Brown hit his fourth, also with a runner on base, in the sixth, and Davy Gregg homered with one runner on in the seventh. It was the first career homer for the Gamecock center fielder in 320 at bats.

Brown also drove in two runs with s fifth inning double to account for four RBI. Willard had an RBI single in the first inning, drove in a run with a ground ball in the third and two more in the fifth with a single.

Mark Stanley had two singles and a double and drove in two runs subbing in right field for Brendan Winn who sat out with a lower back strain. Winn is listed as day to day. Michael Campbell also had three hits, including a double, as did Brown. Willard, Pearce, Gregg and Joey Friddle had two hit's apiece. Everyone in the Gamecock starting lineup had at least one hit except for catcher Ryan Mahoney who walked twice.

Georgia's first hit was a one out fifth inning single by Jonathan Watt that scored Bobby Felmy who had reached on an error. A walk to Josh Morris followed by a double by Brandon Lowe scored the second Georgia run, the only earned run by the Bulldogs.

The only other Georgia hit was an eighth inning single by Justin Niefer off relief pitcher Wynn Pelzer. Niefer was wiped out by a double play.