March 27, 2004
Fayetteville, Ark. – Arkansas pushed across two seventh inning runs to break a 3-3 tie Saturday and held on to down fourth ranked South Carolina 5-4 and take a 2-0 lead in the Southeastern Conference baseball series.
The third and final game is scheduled for 12:30 p.m., CST, Sunday at Baum Stadium.
Left-hander Jay Sawatski, who worked three innings in relief of starter Charley Boyce, was credited with the win to improve his record to 3-2. Caton Hall retired the Gamecocks in order to earn his third save of the year. Aaron Rawl pitched 6 1/3 innings for South Carolina and was charged with the loss. He allowed 10 hits and all five Razorback runs.
South Carolina, which won 18 consecutive games to open the season, dropped to 20-4 overall, 1-4 in the Southeastern Conference. Arkansas improved to 17-8, 3-2 in the SEC.
Arkansas used two big innings to claim the win while South Carolina scored single runs in four different innings. The Gamecocks had 12 hits to 11 for Arkansas to out hit the Razorbacks for the second straight game. South Carolina had nine hits Friday night to six for Arkansas but lost that game 5-3.
For the second straight day the Gamecocks took the early lead with a first inning run. Steve Pearce doubled with two outs, the first of four hits by the Gamecock third baseman, and Landon Powell drove him home with a single. Powell, who had an 18 game hitting streak halted in the Friday game, had two hits Saturday.
Arkansas scored three times in the second inning, on four hits, to take a 3-1 lead. Singles by Haas Pratt, Clay Goodwin and Blake Parker scored one run and Scott Hode drove in two runs with the fourth Razorback hit of the inning. Hode, who had two hits, including a home run, and two walks in four appearances Friday night, was retired only once Saturday as the number nine hitter in the Arkansas batting order had a single and a double in three plate appearances.
Single runs in the fifth and sixth innings tied the score. In the fifth Pearce singled, stole second and third, and scored on a hit by Tommy King. Brendan Winn, who was hit by a pitch and reached second on a double steal behind Pearce, was out at the plate attempting to score from second on the King hit. Hank Parks singled in the sixth and pinch runner Mark Stanley moved to second on an infield out, to third on a single by David Cash and scored on a sacrifice fly by Bryan Triplett.
Arkansas wrapped up its scoring with two seventh inning runs to lead 5-3. Devin Day singled and Hode doubled him home. Jake Dugger singled with Hode stopping at third from where he scored on a sacrifice fly by Danny Hamblin.
South Carolina cut the margin to one run in the eighth inning. Davy Gregg doubled with one out and scored on a two out double by Triplett.
Goodwin had three hits with Hode and Pratt collecting two for Arkansas. Hode had three RBI. The four hits by Pearce led South Carolina. Powell and Gregg had two hits each.
