Feb. 17, 2006

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Columbia, S.C. - Robbie Grinestaff homered twice and four South Carolina pitchers combined to limit Radford to one hit Friday and the Gamecocks shut out the Highlanders 7-0 in the first of a three game college baseball series.

The second game is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., Saturday at Sarge Frye Field with the series winding up on Sunday. The Friday win boosted 13trh ranked South Carolina's record to 3-1 while Radford dropped its season opener.

Left-hander Arik Hempy started for South Carolina but retired after two innings with a blister on his pitching hand. He struck out five and walked one. Andy Lambert (1-0) pitched four innings for the win. He allowed the only Radford hit, a fourth inning single by Nate Toth, who was wiped out when Alex Gregory hit into a double play. Lambert walked two and struck out five.

Dan Luczak worked two hitless innings with one strikeout and one walk and freshman Will Atwood pitched a hitless ninth inning with one strikeout.

Starter Justin Morgan pitched 4 1/3 innings for Radford to take the loss. He allowed four hits and five earned runs. Three other pitchers worked for the Highlanders.

South Carolina managed only five hits but three of them, along with two walks, came in the bottom of the third inning when the Gamecocks scored five times. Phil Disher walked, Mark Stanley blooped a single and Cheyne Hurst walked to load the bases. With two outs, Neil Giesler singled to drive in two runs and Grinestaff, the designated hitter, followed with his first home run, a drive over the left centerfield fence.

That was all the scoring until the seventh inning when Chris Brown reached on a Radford error and with two outs Grinestaff hit his second home run, a long blast over the right field fence.

Grinestaff, a junior transfer from Okaloosa-Walton Junior College in Florida, was the only Gamecock with two hits. The other South Carolina hits were singles by Giesler, Hurst and Stanley.