South Carolina Baseball Week
South Carolina continued
the 2012 season with non-conference wins vs. Charleston Southern and
Appalachian State. The Gamecocks were swept in a weekend series
at Kentucky in the first week of conference play. South Carolina
is 15-4 on the year including a 14-0 record at Carolina Stadium.
South
Carolina is 10-4 in games decided by three runs or less through 19
games. The Gamecocks also own a 6-3 record in one-run contests.
The
Gamecocks totaled double-digits in hits in four of the five games this
past week. The Gamecocks had 11 vs. Charleston Southern, 10 in
both the Friday and Saturday games at Kentucky as well as 11 in the
series finale vs. the Wildcats. Carolina raised the team batting
average eight points up to .285 on the year after this past week’s
games.
The Gamecocks have also been playing pretty good
defense lately with just one error this past week and just two in the
past nine games. South Carolina is fielding .979 with only 14
errors for the season.
Sophomore infielder Erik Payne had a
stellar week at the plate. He was 6-for-11 (.545) in the Kentucky
series as well as 3-for-7 in the midweek contests vs. CSU and
ASU. Payne had two hits apiece in all three games at Kentucky as
well as a solo home run in Friday’s 4-3 loss. Payne is hitting
.419 (13-for-31) for the season with a double, triple, homer, five runs
scored and five RBI. He owns a .710 slugging percentage
Junior
outfielder Evan Marzilli had a game-winning three-run double as well as
a career-high four RBI in the 6-4 win over Appalachian State. He
is hitting .316 (24-for-76) for the season with 12 runs scored, a
team-high seven doubles and nine RBI. He has reached base in all
19 games this year. Marzilli had a nine-game hitting streak
snapped in Sunday’s 6-3 loss at Kentucky.
Junior first
baseman Christian Walker tied a season-high in hits with a 3-for-4 day
and a RBI in the 6-4 win over Appalachian State as well as three hits
including two doubles in the 4-3 loss at Kentucky on Saturday.
Walker is hitting .338 (24-for-71) with six doubles, nine runs scored
and 18 RBI. His on-base percentage is .434 with a .4645 slugging
percentage.
South Carolina’s pitching staff continues to
post stellar numbers through the first part of the season. The
Gamecocks own a team ERA of 2.23 with 46 runs allowed, 42 earned, in
169.2 innings on 110 hits. Opponents are hitting only .180
against the Gamecock pitching staff. The staff has 184 strikeouts
to 45 walks.
Despite a no-decision on Friday at Kentucky,
senior left-hander Michael Roth had a quality start. He allowed
just two runs on five hits in 6.2 innings of work. Roth is 2-0 on
the year with a 1.26 ERA. He has 36 strikeouts to just seven
walks. Opponents are hitting only .151 against him.
Junior
left-hander Adam Westmoreland won his first start of the 2012 season in
the 5-2 win over Appalachian State. Westmoreland allowed one run
on four hits in 5.2 innings with four strikeouts and a walk.
Junior
left-hander Tyler Webb picked up the win in relief in Wednesday’s 6-4
win over Appalachian State. Webb had four appearances in the five
games this past week. He has been a steady reliever thus far with
a 0.60 ERA in a team-high 12 relief appearances. Webb has allowed
just one earned run in 15 innings while striking out 19 and walking
three.
Freshman right-hander Evan Beal tallied his third
save of the year in the 6-4 win over Appalachian State. He is 1-1
with a 3.86 ERA. He has 14 strikeouts and just one walk in 9.1
innings. Opponents are hitting just .129 against him.
Freshman
right-hander Joel Seddon retired the lone batter he faced to pick up
his first career save in the 5-2 win over Charleston Southern.
Sophomore
right-hander Forrest Koumas did not allow a run in four relief
appearances this past week. He pitched 2.1 perfect innings with
four strikeouts in the 5-2 win over Charleston Southern. He is
1-1 with three saves and a 2.45 ERA in 11 innings pitched. He has
12 strikeouts to four walks.
Junior third baseman LB
Dantzler was 2-for-4 with a season-high three runs scored in the 6-4
win vs. Appalachian State. He also went 2-for-4 with a RBI in the
6-3 loss at Kentucky. Dantzler is hitting .275 (19-for-69) with
three homers, three doubles, 11 runs scored and 14 RBI.
Freshman
infielder Joey Pankake was 2-for-2 in the 4-3 loss at Kentucky on
Saturday. He owns a .286 batting average (12-for-42) with 12 runs
scored.
Next Week: 3/20/12 – at Furman (at Fluor Field/Greenville, S.C.) – 7 p.m. (SportSouth) 3/21/12 – vs. Wofford – 7 p.m. (FS South/FS Carolinas) 3/22/12 – vs. Florida – 7:30 p.m. (ESPNU) 3/23/12 – vs. Florida – 7 p.m. (CSS) 3/24/12 – vs. Florida – 1 p.m. (CSS)
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