Saturday March 18, 2000Baseball Drops Second Game to USC 7-2
Columbia. S.C.
Baseball Headline
USC starter Peter Bauer scattered seven hits for just two runs to help
fourth-ranked South Carolina win its 22nd consecutive game with a 7-3
victory over Florida Saturday at Sarge Frye Field. The Gamecocks improved
to 5-0 in conference play, while Florida dropped to 14-13, 1-4 on the
season.
The Gamecocks got six runs, including a pair of unearned runs off UF starter Jeff Cardozo (2-1), to take the second game of the series.
Florida jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning after loading the bases to start the game. Second baseman Mark Kiger led off the game with single, followed by walks to Matt Siegel and Kurt Keene. Bauer (4-0) then got DH Jason Dill to ground into a double play to plate the first run of the game. After Pete Nystrom was hit by a pitch, Bauer struck out Aaron Sobieraj to end the threat.
“Bauer was pitching poorly to start the game and we had an opportunity,” said Lopez of the first inning. “It definitely was a boost for them.”
South Carolina pushed across a run in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game with Cardozo pitching out of a bases loaded situation of his own. But, the Gamecocks scored three in the second to take the lead for good.
After an error by shortstop Kevin Estrada started the second inning, Cardozo walked second baseman John McHenry. Nate Janowicz, who had the game-winning hit in Friday’s game, reached on a fielder’s choice. USC then got run-scoring singles by Drew Meyer and Brandon Pack for a 4-1 lead.
“We continue to shoot ourselves in the foot and give the other team extra outs,” said Lopez. “There are just some things we are not doing to beat a solid team like South Carolina on the road.”
South Carolina added two off Cardozo in the fifth and a single run off reliever Eddie Rojas with catcher Tony Socarras providing UF’s only offense with a solo home run in the sixth to pull UF within 7-2.
Florida left runners on base in seven of the nine innings, failing to come up with clutch hits to leave 12 runners on base for the game.
Florida did rally in the ninth off closer Scott Barber only to come up short. The Gators loaded the bases on three singles by Estrada, Siegel and Keene. Dill then struck out on a 3–2 pitch from Barber for the second out of the inning. Pete Nystrom added a single, running his hit streak to eight games, to score Estrada. But, Sobieraj struck out to end the game.
Siegel, Keene and Sobieraj each had two hits on the day to lead Florida, while Drew Meyer had three hits for South Carolina.
The two schools play the final game of the series Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
The Gamecocks got six runs, including a pair of unearned runs off UF starter Jeff Cardozo (2-1), to take the second game of the series.
Florida jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning after loading the bases to start the game. Second baseman Mark Kiger led off the game with single, followed by walks to Matt Siegel and Kurt Keene. Bauer (4-0) then got DH Jason Dill to ground into a double play to plate the first run of the game. After Pete Nystrom was hit by a pitch, Bauer struck out Aaron Sobieraj to end the threat.
“Bauer was pitching poorly to start the game and we had an opportunity,” said Lopez of the first inning. “It definitely was a boost for them.”
South Carolina pushed across a run in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game with Cardozo pitching out of a bases loaded situation of his own. But, the Gamecocks scored three in the second to take the lead for good.
After an error by shortstop Kevin Estrada started the second inning, Cardozo walked second baseman John McHenry. Nate Janowicz, who had the game-winning hit in Friday’s game, reached on a fielder’s choice. USC then got run-scoring singles by Drew Meyer and Brandon Pack for a 4-1 lead.
“We continue to shoot ourselves in the foot and give the other team extra outs,” said Lopez. “There are just some things we are not doing to beat a solid team like South Carolina on the road.”
South Carolina added two off Cardozo in the fifth and a single run off reliever Eddie Rojas with catcher Tony Socarras providing UF’s only offense with a solo home run in the sixth to pull UF within 7-2.
Florida left runners on base in seven of the nine innings, failing to come up with clutch hits to leave 12 runners on base for the game.
Florida did rally in the ninth off closer Scott Barber only to come up short. The Gators loaded the bases on three singles by Estrada, Siegel and Keene. Dill then struck out on a 3–2 pitch from Barber for the second out of the inning. Pete Nystrom added a single, running his hit streak to eight games, to score Estrada. But, Sobieraj struck out to end the game.
Siegel, Keene and Sobieraj each had two hits on the day to lead Florida, while Drew Meyer had three hits for South Carolina.
The two schools play the final game of the series Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
