Gamecocks edge Presbyterian
Alex Destino continued his hot streak after being benched against Kentucky. He went 3-for-4 with a home run to help South Carolina to a 4-3 win over Presbyterian College Tuesday night at Founders Park.
Destino’s homer was a solo shot and came in the seventh inning with the Gamecocks trailing 3-2. USC took the lead later in the frame with Jacob Olson scoring on a wild pitch.
The win improves South Carolina’s record to 28-19 heading into Wednesday’s game against Liberty.
“We got lucky there on a wild pitch to score the go-ahead run, but Alex had a great night,” USC coach Chad Holbrook said. “That big home run when we got behind there in the seventh kind of relaxed us a little bit, I thought and enabled us to get a big win. I knew this one was going to be extremely difficult and it was. So I’m very happy to get out of here with a win.”
John Parke (2-1) earned the victory for South Carolina, pitching the final 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run. Parke surrendered two hits, no walks and struck out four while throwing 47 pitches.
“It was an impressive performance, as good as I’ve ever seen him throw in a game that we really needed,” Holbrook said.
Parke was glad to get right back on the mound after giving up the game-winning single in Sunday’s loss at LSU.
“I kind of regrouped mentally. Me and Josh Reagan sat down a little bit and talked about everything and kind of cleared my mind,” Parke said. “That really helped me mentally, a lot. That was a big game, and it sucks to be the guy that comes in and gives up the game-winning single to lose a big series for us.”
Cody Morris got the start and also pitched well for the Gamecocks, allowing two runs in 4 2/3 innings pitched.
Parke and Morris, who had struggled with command at times this season, did not walk a batter against PC.
With several pitchers unavailable after throwing Sunday against LSU, and with a game against Liberty scheduled for Wednesday, it was important that the Gamecocks were able to only use two pitchers in the victory.
“We knew we only had four or five guys that could pitch tonight that had pitched in some meaningful games,” Holbrook said. “We came in here and knew it was going to be a tough one. To see those guys match them pitch for pitch and battle and compete and give us a chance to win was really, really important.”
Presbyterian used seven pitchers in the game, including its three weekend starters.
Eric Miles, who entered Tuesday 5-0 with a 2.59 ERA, also threw for PC and suffered the loss, allowing two runs in two innings.
The Gamecocks finished with 10 hits as Olson and Madison Stokes joined Destino in finishing with multiple hits.
“I knew before the game started that we were going to have our hands full tonight with the way that Presbyterian was going to throw their arms at us,” Holbrook said.
Presbyterian | ab | r | h | rbi | bb | k |
Casaceli 3b | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Aukland lf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Richardson c | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Priaulx 1b | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Slagill 2b | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Guimbarda rf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Coleman dh | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
McLaughlin ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Chapman ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Avery ss | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Weyenberg cf | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
TOTALS | 34 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
USC | ab | r | h | rbi | bb | k |
Hopkins cf | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Tolbert 2b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Cortes lf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Grosvenor 1b | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Williams 1b | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Destino dh | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Bride 3b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Olson rf | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Jones c | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Row ph | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Taylor c | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Stokes ss | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
TOTALS | 28 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
Prebyterian | 000 | 110 | 100 | — | 3 |
USC | 100 | 100 | 20x | — | 4 |
LOB — PC 5; USC 5. 2B — Richardson(7); Hopkins(10). HR — Destino(8). HBP — Grosvenor; Row. SH — Weyenberg(10). SF — Bride(3). SB — Casaceli (6). CS — Auckland, B.(6); Tolbert 2(4).
Presbyterian | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
Kehner | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Chock | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Deal | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Miles, L 5-1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Smith | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Hedrick | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
USC | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
Morris | 4 2/3 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Parke, W 2-1 | 4 1/3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
WP — Kehner (2); Smith. HBP — by Deal (Grosvenor), by Smith (Row). PB — Jones(2). Umpires — HP: Todd Drake; 1B: Don Wiggins; 2B: Richie Tallent; 3B: Mark Ritter. T — 2:34 A — 6,607.
This story was originally published May 9, 2017 at 9:41 PM with the headline "Gamecocks edge Presbyterian."