University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Battle Back but Suffer Loss to USC 7-5
May 16, 2008 | Baseball
Box Score |??Box Score (PDF)??
COLUMBIA, S.C. ??? The Tennessee baseball team dropped a 7-5 decision to 18th-ranked South Carolina Friday at Sarge Frye Field. The Gamecocks evened the weekend series with the win, which came despite being out-hit by the Volunteers 8-7. With the loss, Tennessee (27-28, 12-17 SEC) was mathematically eliminated from SEC Tournament contention.
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Vols freshman Josh Liles made things interesting with a three-run homer in the seventh inning. The blast highlighted the Jackson, Tenn., native???s 3-for-4 night in which he logged a career-high four RBI.
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After being shutout through 8 2/3 innings in Thursday???s series-opener, South Carolina (36-19, 14-15 SEC) was quick to take an early lead Friday. All-America first baseman Justin Smoak put the Gamecocks up 1-0 with an RBI basehit in the bottom of the first inning, and he later scored on an RBI double by catcher Phil Disher to put the Vols in a two-run hole.
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Tennessee responded with one run on three hits in the top of the second. Liles drove in second baseman Danny Lima with an RBI single after Lima had initially reached on his fourth basehit of the series.
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South Carolina plated five runs on three hits in the fifth to take a 7-1 lead. Gamecocks designated hitter Parker Bangs restored Carolina???s two-run lead when he led off the bottom of the frame with a solo home run. And Whit Merrifield delivered an RBI double later in the inning. Another run crossed on a wild pitch by UT starting pitcher Bryan Morgado, and Andrew Crisp capped the big inning with a two-run single.
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Morgado was lifted after facing eight batters in the fifth. The redshirt freshman from Miami, Fla., allowed five runs on four hits with five walks and four strikeouts through 4 2/3 innings. His record fell to 5-5 with the loss, though he remains among the nation???s strikeouts leaders with 104 on the year.
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Lima led off the top of the seventh with a homer to left-center. It was the junior???s third longball of the season and the sixth of his career.
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Later in the top of the seventh, Liles made the Gamecocks pay for an infield error when he belted a three-run homer off Bangs???who took the mound in relief of starter Nick Godwin one batter earlier. Liles??? seventh home run of the season pulled the Vols to within two runs, 7-5. All three runs went down as unearned.
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The Vols brought the potential go-ahead run to the plate with two outs in the top of the ninth, and Carolina then summoned left-handed reliever Alex Farotto out of the bullpen. The left-hander came through with a strikeout to secure his first save of the season and even the weekend series.
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Godwin, meanwhile, improved to 6-3 with the win after working 7 1/3 innings and giving up four runs (two earned) on seven hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
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The series concludes Saturday at 4 p.m. The Vols are expected to start junior right-hander Ty???Relle Harris (2-2, 4.14 ERA). South Carolina will send sophomore right-hander Blake Cooper (5-5, 3.84 ERA) to the hill.
