May 21, 2004
Athens, Ga. – Sean Ruthven and Will Startup limited South Carolina to one run on five hits as eighth ranked Georgia defeated the fifth ranked Gamecocks 5-1 in the first of a three-game SEC baseball series at Foley Field. The win improves Georgia 36-17 and 18-10 in the SEC while the loss drops South Carolina to 40-14 and 16-12 in the conference.
Ruthven improved to 7-1 on the year allowing one run on five hits with eight strikeouts and one walk allowed in seven 1/3 innings pitched. Startup finished the final one 2/3 innings perfect to pick up his eighth save of the season. USC starter Matt Campbell took the loss and is now 8-4 on the year. Campbell went four 2/3 innings and allowed four runs, two earned on four hits with nine strikeouts and four walks allowed.
Georgia struck early with two runs off Campbell in the first inning. One out walks to Justin Holmes and Marshall Szabo set the table for Josh Morris, who stroked a double to right center scoring both runners and giving the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead.
USC cut the deficit to 2-1 in the fourth inning. Steven Tolleson and Kevin Melillo put together back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners with no outs. Ruthven got Landon Powell to ground into a sharp hit 4-6-3 double play but Tolleson scored for the first Gamecock run of the evening.
Georgia extended the lead to 4-1 in the fifth inning with a pair of unearned runs. With two outs and Justin Holmes on second base, Joey Side hit a short chop in front of home plate. On the play, Campbell threw low to first base with the ball getting past USC first baseman Steve Pearce and scoring Holmes. With Carolina reliever Zac McCamie on the mound and runners on second and third, Jason Jacobs hit a RBI base hit up the middle to score Side. Georgia would only score one run on the single though as Carolina center fielder Davy Gregg’s throw to home plate gunned down Sammons at the plate on a tag from catcher Landon Powell to end the inning. Georgia would add a run in the sixth inning on a RBI sacrifice fly from Justin Holmes.
Five different Gamecock players had one hit with Melillo extending his hitting streak to a season-high eight games. Tolleson, Campbell, Bryan Triplett and Gregg accounted for the other four hits. Georgia had seven hits on the night with Bobby Felmy leading the way with a 2-for-2 performance at the plate.
South Carolina and Georgia continue its series tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. with junior RHP Aaron Rawl (10-3, 4.47 ERA) on the mound for Carolina and Michael Hyle (6-1, 2.71 ERA) taking the mound for the Bulldogs.
