Feb. 24, 2006

Box Score

Columbia, S.C. - Six pitchers combined on a three hit shutout Friday as South Carolina collected 16 hits, including home runs by Cheyne Hurst and Robbie Grinestaff to defeat Duquesne 15-0 in the first of a three game college baseball series.

The win improved the 2006 South Carolina record to 6-1 while Duquesne dropped its season opener. Dan Luczak (1-0) was the winning pitcher and Adam Haun was charged with the loss.

Starting time Saturday for the second game of the series has been moved from 1:30 p.m., to 11 a.m., at Sarge Frye Field due to the forecast of inclement afternoon weather. The Sunday finale will begin half an hour early at 1 p.m., due to Duquesne's scheduled flight home to Pittsburgh.

Neil Giesler had four hits, all singles, in four at bats and Grinestaff was three for three with an RBI double as well as a two run fourth inning home run, his third homer of the season. Hurst hit his first home run with one runner on base in the second inning. Reese Havens matched Grinestaff's three runs batted in with a two run first inning single and a second inning sacrifice fly.

Hurst and Michael Campbell each had two RBI. South Carolina Coach Ray Tanner used 22 players in the game with substitute players Jonathan Ratledge and Phil Disher contributing two hits apiece. One of the Disher hits was a double.

South Carolina jumped to an early seven run lead with three in the first and four in the second inning. The Gamecocks added two runs in the fourth, one in the sixth and ended the scoring with five runs in the seventh inning on only two hits but aided by two walks and two hit batters.

Pat Kimutis singled for Duquesne in the third inning but was wiped out by a double play. Another double play by the Gamecock defense nullified a seventh inning single by Derek Mechling. The third Duquesne hit was an eighth inning single by Michael Carroll.

The six South Carolina pitchers combined to strike out six and walked two. The shutout was the third in seven games for the Gamecock pitching staff which lowered its earned run average to 1.11 in 65 innings.