March 18, 2005
Columbia, S.C. – Freshman left-hander Nick Schmidt took a no hitter into the sixth inning Friday night and Blake Parker hit a three run homer as Arkansas defeated South Carolina 9-1 in the first Southeastern Conference game for both teams.
Jake Dugger also drove in three runs with a bases loaded double.
Seventh ranked Arkansas improved its record to 17-1 while second ranked South Carolina dropped to 16-2.Arkansas has won 12 in a row. South Carolina saw its winning streak halted at six games.
The second game of the weekend series is scheduled for 4 p.m., Saturday at Sarge Frye Field with the series winding up at 12:30 p.m., Sunday.
Schmidt, making his first SEC start, improved his record to 4-0 before a crowd of 4,312 at Sarge Frye Field. Senior right-hander Aaron Rawl took the loss to drop his mark to 4-2.
Schmidt held the Gamecocks hitless until a one out single by Chris Brown in the sixth inning. South Carolina avoided a shutout when Jon Willard hit a solo home run, his fourth of the season, in the seventh inning. Lee Land pitched the final two innings for Arkansas. He allowed one hit, a pinch single by Neil Giesler in the eighth. Schmidt struck out 11 and walked three.
Rawl allowed seven hits and seven runs, only three of them earned, in five innings. He struck out seven and walked one.
Arkansas scored an unearned run in the first inning. Casey Rowlett doubled with two out to extend his hitting streak to 17 games. Jake Dugger walked and Rowlett scored on a Gamecock error.
The Razorbacks struck for six runs in the fifth inning on four hits and a South Carolina error. Scott Hode and Clint Arnold singled and all hands were safe on a sacrifice fielder’s choice by Scott Bridges that loaded the bases. Jake Dugger drove in three runs with a double and Clay Goodwin reached on a two out Gamecock error. Parker homered to make the score 7-0.
After the Willard homer got South Carolina on the scoreboard the Razorbacks added single runs in the eighth and ninth innings. Brian Walker hit his third homer in the eighth. In the ninth Rowlett got his second double and third hit and moved to third on a fly out. Rowlett scored on a ground out by Danny Hamblin.
In addition to three hits by Rowlett, who upped his season average to .514, Dugger and Scott Hode had two hits as Arkansas out hit South Carolina 11-3.
Senior right-hander Zac McCamie, 4-0, is South Carolina’s scheduled Saturday starting pitcher. Arkansas will go with junior right-hander Charlie Boyce, 3-1.
