By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
GREENVILLE — East Carolina was a little sloppy and South Carolina took full advantage.
Three errors, two wild pitches and two hit batters helped to do in the No. 13 Pirates on a sunny, windy Friday afternoon in front of 3,214 fans at Clark-LeClair Stadium. That helped lead to three unearned runs by the No. 10 Gamecocks in a 6-2 victory.
“We have to play better defense,” ECU coach Billy Godwin said. “I don’t think we executed at a very high level. I thought that we were a step behind most of the day against a very good club. You can’t play a team like South Carolina and be a step behind.”
The Gamecocks (4-0) collected 11 hits, with five of them going for doubles.
ECU (2-3) couldn’t generate much offense as the Pirates managed just five hits. Blake Cooper handcuffed the Pirates through seven innings.
“This was a nice win for us today,” South Carolina coach Ray Tanner said. “Blake Cooper gave us a great start. He battled his rear end off against a great team.”
The Gamecocks took advantage of an error to get on the scoreboard first. Nick Ebert led off the second inning with a double. ECU right fielder Devin Harris misplayed a ball off the bat of Jeffery Jones, allowing Ebert to score.
Robert Beary’s RBI double in the third scored Scott Wingo for a 2-0 lead.
South Carolina took advantage of some sloppy pitching in the fifth to pad its lead. Whit Merrifield led off with a single. After a one-out walk by ECU starter Seth Maness (0-2) put two aboard, that ended his day. The junior allowed three runs on seven hits, striking out two and walking one in 4 1/3 innings.
Reliever Shawn Armstrong came on and uncorked two wild pitches, allowing Merrifield to score for a 3-0 lead.
Corey Thompson’s two-run blast in the bottom of the fifth made it a one-run game. Cooper (2-0) beaned Jared Avchen to start the frame. Thompson followed by launching his second career home run – both off of Cooper – into right to pull the Pirates within 3-2.
Despite the home run, Thompson praised Cooper’s effectiveness.
“His slider was really, really, really good,” Thompson said. “His fastball had a little jump. He hit his spots really well.”
South Carolina responded with a pair of runs in the sixth. Kyle Enders led off with a double. After a groundout and a hit batter put runners at the corners, Merrifield hit a dribbler toward the mound. Armstrong sailed his throw over the first baseman, allowing Enders to trot home.
After a second plunking by Armstrong (two unearned runs, one hit in 1 2/3 innings) loaded the bases, Christian Walker’s fielder’s choice scored another run for a 5-2 advantage.
That was more than enough for Cooper (two runs, four hits, four strikeouts, two walks in seven innings).
“Luckily I was able to get ahead of batters,” Cooper said. “The slider has been working for me.”
The Pirates threatened in the eighth. Kyle Roller walked, Devin Harris singled and Austin Homan walked to load the bases with two outs.
John Wooten, who homered in his first three games with the Pirates, came close to giving ECU the lead. However, the freshman’s shot was tracked down on the warning track in front of the wall in deep center.
Enders ripped an RBI-double in the ninth to provide South Carolina with another insurance run.
South Carolina reliever John Taylor notched the save after giving up one hit in 1 1/3 innings.
The teams meet again today at 2 p.m. Kevin Brandt (1-0, 1.35 ERA) will start for the Pirates and Sam Dyson (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will get the nod for the Gamecocks.
NOTES:
Sthil Sowers was solid in relief for the Pirates. He allowed a run on three hits and struck out four in 2 2/3 innings.
Trent Whitehead, a former standout with the Washington Pam Pack, went 0 for 4.
Dustin Harrington’s infield single in the first inning extended his hitting streak to 13 games.
South Carolina leadoff batter Whit Merrifield pushed his hitting streak to 18 games with a single in the fifth.