April 11, 2004
Columbia, S.C. – After tying the game with a three run eighth inning homer, Brendan Winn’s one out 10th inning single scored Steve Pearce Sunday and South Carolina defeated Florida 7-6 to win a Southeastern Conference baseball series two games to one.
All three games were decided by one run and two went extra innings. South Carolina won 5-4 Friday night on a 10th inning walk off home run by Landon Powell and Florida won 9-8 Saturday with a two run eighth inning rally.
Freshman left-hander Arik Hempy, who won his first collegiate victory in relief Friday night, pitched two hitless innings Sunday for his second win of the weekend. His record is 2-1. Connor Falkenbach, who allowed seven hits and six runs in three innings of relief, took his second loss of the series to drop his record to 5-3.
Sixth ranked South Carolina improved its overall record to 25-7 and evened its Southeastern Conference mark at 6-6. Florida, ranked 17th, is now 26-10, and also is 6-6.
Right-hander Justin Hoyman, the Florida starter, didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning and left after six innings with a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand. He allowed two hits, including the third home run of the season by Hank Parks in the sixth and gave way to Falkenbach with a 5-1 lead.
South Carolina cut the Florida lead to 5-2 with a run in the seventh when Winn was hit by a pitch and scored on a double by Ryan Mahoney but Florida got the run back in the top of the eighth on a solo home run by Justin Tordi, his third of the season.
Trailing 6-2, South Carolina tied it with four runs in the bottom of the eighth. Davy Gregg beat out a bunt, Pearce singled with one out but was forced at second by Powell’s fielder’s choice. Michael Campbell singled to score Gregg and Winn hit a three run home run, his 10th of he season, to tie the score at 6-6.
Both teams threatened but neither scored in the ninth inning to send the contest into extra innings. Hempy retired the Gators in order in the top of the 10th, striking out pinch hitter Matt LaPorta to end the Gator half of the inning.
Pearce singled to open the bottom of 10th. Powell flied out to left field but Campbell singled to right to put runners at the corners with one out. With the Florida outfield playing shallow for a possible play at the plate, Winn lofted a long fly ball over the head of right fielder Jeff Corsaletti for a game ending single.
South Carolina starter Aaron Rawl pitched eight innings before being relieved by Hempy. Rawl was rocked for five runs on five hits and a walk in the third inning and pitched shutout baseball in the other seven innings that he worked.
In the Florida second Austin Easley doubled and Adam Davis singled him to third. Easley scored on a wild pitch. Davis moved to second on a sacrifice. Corsaletti doubled to score Davis but, after Ben Harrison walked, Corsaletti was picked off second base by Rawl with Harrison taking second during the rundown. Harrison scored on a hit by C. J. Smith and Brian Leclerc hit a two run home run, his fourth, to complete the five run innings.
Winn, Campbell and Gregg had two hits for South Carolina which got nine of its 11 hits after the sixth inning. Florida had nine hits, two each by Leclerc and Tordi.
In the series, Winn had seven hits in 13 at bats including two home runs and two doubles. He drove in nine runs. Gregg had eight hits in the series, all singles. Powell had five hits in the three games, including two home runs.
