Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina starter Mike Cisco collected a career-high 10 strikeouts and was backed by four Gamecock home runs as seventh-ranked South Carolina defeated The Citadel, 12-3, in non-conference baseball action Wednesday night at Sarge Frye Field.
Justin Smoak gave the Gamecocks the early lead in the first with a two-out, solo shot over the wall in right field for his 16th homer of the season. South Carolina extended their lead to 3-0 in the second courtesy of back-to-back jacks by Jon Willard and Steven Reinhold.
Freshman left-hander Raymond Copenhaver took over on the hill for the Dogs in the third and forced Smoak to pop out in foul territory before allowing a walk to Phil Disher. Trent Kline grounded into a 163 double play as Copenhaver returned in the fourth and retired the Gamecocks in order for the first time of the contest. South Carolina did not stay off the board long as Reese Havens went deep for the fourth Gamecock round-tripper of the night as he drilled one over the center field fence to lead off the fifth.
The Bulldogs were able to put a runner in scoring position in the sixth as senior right fielder Joe Hoerter punched a base hit through the right side to begin the frame. Mike Cisco registered two straight outs but then threw two wild pitches that allowed Hoerter to move all the way to third. Sophomore Sonny Meade worked a full count, but Cisco won the battle as Meade went down swinging to end the Bulldog threat.
The Citadel was able to avoid the shutout in the seventh as freshman catcher Richard Jones ripped a two-bagger off the wall in left center with one out. Freshman second baseman Bryan Altman hit a slow roller to second for the second out. Junior third baseman Matt Arnold notched an infield single that Cisco threw in the dirt past first base, allowing Jones to sprint home from second to make it 4-1.
The Gamecocks retaliated in the bottom half of the frame as Disher registered an RBI-single and James Darnell raced to the plate on a squeeze by Trent Kline, extending the SC lead to five runs. South Carolina scored six more in the eighth thanks to a bases loaded walk, a pair of RBI-singles by DeAngelo Mack and Havens and a two-run double off the bat of Kline.
Freshman pinch-hitter Matt Riefsnider barely missed a grand slam in the top of the ninth as he crushed one off the top of the wall in left center for a double that pushed in two to make the final, 12-3.
Cisco (4-2) picked up the win as he went 7.0 innings, allowing one unearned run on four hits while fanning 10 and walking one. Freshman lefty Chris McGuiness (2-2) suffered the loss as he tossed 2.0 frames, giving up three runs on five hits.
The Bulldogs sent six hurlers to the mound, four freshmen and two seniors, as the Gamecocks collected 15 hits to The Citadel’s five.
Altman extended his hitting streak to 12 games in the contest while Reifsnider led the Dogs with two RBI. Disher paced the Gamecock offense as he enjoyed his third consecutive three-hit game.
The Citadel will return home this weekend, May 11-13, to host Georgia Southern for a pivotal three-game Sothern Conference series. The Bulldogs will honor their seven seniors on Senior Day this Sunday, May 11 prior to the start of the game.
