Pirate Bats Silenced by South Carolina, 4-0
May 30, 2003 | Baseball
By KEITH PARSONS
AP Sports Writer
ATLANTA (AP) -- A surprise choice to start, Chris Hernandez made coach Ray Tanner look like a genius.
Hernandez pitched a five-hitter and Kevin Melillo went 3-for-4 with a homer as South Carolina beat East Carolina 4-0 Friday in the opening game of the NCAA regional at Georgia Tech.
The Gamecocks (40-20), who lost to Texas in the championship game of the College World Series last year, will play the winner of the Georgia Tech-Stetson game, which was later Friday. The Pirates (33-26-1), shutout for the first time this season, will face the loser at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Hernandez (5-4) made only his fourth start of the season and first since April 27. He lost the previous three, even though he went at least 7 1-3 innings in them all. In this one, he gave up five singles, struck out a career-high seven and walked two.
''We had a lot of confidence in Chris Hernandez to get out there and win this game,'' Tanner said. ''He's certainly a guy that figures in for us. We just felt that he was the right guy.''
Hernandez escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third when Darryl Lawhorn, East Carolina's leading hitter coming in at .336, hit a liner to shortstop Justin Harris. Harris stepped on second to double up Ryan Jones.
''I thought it was a hit,'' Hernandez said. ''I almost got whiplash from looking back there so fast. That was a big-time double play, to get out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam.
''Anytime you get out of that kind of jam, you just try to keep rolling.''
Tanner had a similar view.
''My reaction to that was, 'That'll give Hernandez at least two more innings,''' Tanner said.
Will Brinson (3-4) gave up three runs in the first despite striking out the side. It was his third straight loss, and he hasn't won in eight starts, since he beat Memphis on April 13. He gave up 11 hits in 7 1-3 innings, and three of the four runs off him were earned. He struck out a career-high nine and didn't allow a walk.
"I've got to give credit to Will Brinson,'' Tanner said. "He stayed in the game and gave his team a chance to come back."
Brinson's struggles in the first were helped by two errors. Justin Harris singled with one out in the first, and Brian Buscher followed with a hit-and-run double to left. The ball skipped by left fielder Jamie Page, and Harris never slowed as he came home for the first run.
''I threw some good pitches and they hit the ball,'' Brinson said. ''That's what a good team does.''
After Landon Powell struck out, Melillo hit a flare to left to score Buscher, and Trey McDaniel also singled. Bryan Triplett hit a grounder toward the hole at short, but Lawhorn failed to backhand the ball and it rolled into left field. Melillo scored on the play, but Brinson struck out Michael Campbell to end the threat.
''I should have come up with it,'' Lawhorn said. ''I just missed it. I was kind of nervous there in the first inning. It's my fault.''
Melillo hit his 11th homer in the third, a solo shot to right-center on a 1-1 pitch from Brinson.
''We are still very fresh. Our strength is our bullpen,'' East Carolina coach Randy Mazey said. ''All the credit goes to Will. He could have very easily given up in the first inning.
''He went on and pitched an outstanding game.''
Postgame Notes
