Tigers Fall, Gamecocks Win On Diamond

Duke scored six runs in the fourth inning and hung on for a 10-7 win over #17 Clemson in front of 5,162 fans at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Saturday night. The Blue Devils, who evened the series 1-1, improved to 20-10 overall and 7-7 in the ACC. Clemson dropped to 19-10 overall and 8-6 in ACC play. The loss snapped the Tigers’ eight-game home winning streak over the Blue Devils dating back to the 2003 season.

The Blue Devils scored six runs in the fourth inning and added two runs in the sixth inning to build a 9-1 lead. The Tigers chipped away with two runs apiece in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, then brought the potential tying run to the plate in the ninth inning, but they fell short for just the fourth time at home in 2009.

Duke starter Andrew Wolcott (5-1) earned the win by scattering 10 hits in 6.0 innings pitched. He also allowed three runs (two earned) and no walks with two strikeouts. Alex Hassan, who was 2-for-3 at the plate, pitched the final 1.1 innings without allowing a run to record his eighth save of the year. Tiger starter Graham Stoneburner (3-3) suffered the loss, as he gave up six runs on nine hits in 3.1 innings pitched.

The Blue Devils wasted little time taking the game’s first lead. Hassan led off with a single to right-center but was erased on Matt Williams’ fielder’s choice. Two batters later, Jeremy Gould lined a two-out single to center and Will Piwnica-Worms followed with a single to right-center to plate Williams.

The Tigers put together a two-out rally of their in the second inning to tie the score. Kyle Parker led off with a single to left. After the next two Tigers were retired, John Nester laced a single up the middle. Jason Stolz followed with a bloop single to left to score Parker.

The Blue Devils regained the lead with six runs on four hits in the fourth inning. Joe Pedevillano lined a one-out double down the right-field line and Gabriel Saade followed with an opposite-field triple down the right-field line to score Pedevillano. After Dennis O’Grady walked and Hassan loaded the bases with a hit-by-pitch, Williams doubled down the right-field line to score Saade and O’Grady. Williams two-bagger meant that every Blue Devil starter had a hit in the game. Nate Freiman walked to load the bases and Gould reached on a fielder’s choice as Hassan was retired at the plate on a 5-2 putout. But Piwnica-Worms blooped an 0-2 pitch to center for a two-out, two-run single. Gould then scored on a wild pitch.

In Columbia, South Carolina starting pitcher Nolan Belcher pitched a career-high 8.1 innings and limited
Arkansas to just one run on four hits as the Gamecocks bounced back for a 9-1 win over the Razorbacks to take
game two of an SEC baseball series. Nick Ebert added two home runs and freshman Adam Matthews hit the first
Gamecock inside the park home run in eight years as Carolina improved to 20-9 and 5-6 in the SEC. The loss drops
the Razorbacks to 21-6 and 9-2 in conference play. The rubber game of the series is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m.
ET with live video broadcast at GamecocksOnline.com and on the Gamecock Radio Network

Belcher worked a season-high 8.1 innings and did not allow a hit until the sixth inning. He also struck out a season-
high nine batters and limited Arkansas to just three walks. The victory was Belcher's first of his career at Carolina
and improves him to 1-1 for the year. Arkansas starter TJ Forrest took the loss and is 2-2 on the year. He allowed
four runs on four hits in 4.1 innings of work.

It may not always be the case in baseball, but normally it starts and ends with the guy on the mound, and certainly
Nolan Belcher gave us a tremendous outing today," said South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner. "He gave us the
chance to win the game. We got a few runs and two homeruns from (Nick) Ebert, but Nolan was very special
today."