The Sarge

TOP 9 - Carter still in there to face 3-4-5 in the lineup. He gets a fly ball out to left to begin the inning. Strikeout for out number two. Meyers comes out to call for Tyler Webb to face left-handed hitting Kenny Bryant. I've seen this guy take some pretty fierce swings in my day. He can tie it up easily if he gets a hold of one. Bryant pops out to center to end it. FINAL: USC 2 - PC 1. W: Belcher (1-0) S: Webb (1) HR: Pankake (1). Pankake was 1-3 with a solo HR. USC and Clemson play Friday at 6 p.m. in Charleston.

BOTTOM 8 - Vergason reaches out and rolls over an outside pitch to second base. Marzilli drags a bunt single up the first base line. A little hit and run action ... English lines out to center. Marzilli has to scramble back to the bag at first base. Grayson Greiner up. Marzilli takes second on a 2-2 pitch to Greiner. Full count. He walks. The bullpen pitchers were doing the Rockettes high kicks on that pitch. Maybe we'll see that again on the next full count. Walker up. He takes four pitches and his base. Bases loaded now for LB Dantzler. PC calls in another new pitcher, LHP Michael Ricci. Dantzler, again, on the screws, but right at the right fielder. He's having a rough go of it from a results standpoint. His at-bats haven't been bad. Gamecocks leave the bases loaded but lead 2-1.

TOP 8 - Greiner out of his crouch quickly and throws to first on an attempted bunt attempt that stops just short of the grass in front of home plate. Next hitter bounces back to Carter who makes the play. Pop out to center by Williams to end the inning. Still 2-1.

BOTTOM 7 - Pankake hits another one right on the screws but it's right at the shortstop. One down. Matthews up. He swings right through a fastball for strike three. Two down. Payne grounds to third for the final out of the inning. Gamecocks lead 2-1.

TOP 7 - Belcher back out there. Facing big hitter Bryant. Gets him swinging on a high fastball. Ethan Cah-tah, as our friend Scott Hood would say, coming in to pitch. He gets a line out to center by Matt Peden to start his inning. Swab walks. One on, two down. Paul swings at a slider and misses by four feet. Misses that slider by three feet.The next one by two feet and he throws his bat. Gamecocks lead 2-1 at stretch time.

BOTTOM 6 - English pops out. Greiner lines out. Walker up for his first at-bat and gets hit on an 0-2 pitch on an inside fastball. He takes second on a ball in the dirt. Dantzler fans on a sweeping curve ball to end the inning. Not the best of days for the USC offense so far. Very disappointing, actually. I don't get caught up in a lot of results, but there have been a lot of at-bats that just aren't very good. Still 2-1.

TOP 6 - One pitch, one out for Belcher. Gets Grammer to pop out to center. Single to right by Williams puts one on with one down. Lizanich flies out and Micklon Ks to end the inning. Nice sink on Belcher's fastball there to get the K. Came in at 86. Little two-seamer. Gamecocks lead 2-1.

BOTTOM 5 - Payne goes down swinging at a breaking ball in the dirt. Vergason grounds to first. Marzilli hits one on the screws, but it's right at the centerfielder for the final out of the inning. Gamecocks lead 2-1.

TOP 5 - Belcher in and saws right the lineup. He gets a looking strikeout, fly ball, and ground ball to short. USC leads 2-1.

BOTTOM 4 - Brison Celek pops up to short for the first out. Dantlzer continues to make hard outs. He lines to the track in right field for the second out of the inning. At some point, these hits are going to start to fall. Joey Pankake, as I mentioned over the weekend, is starting to heat up. Launches a solo home run into the left field bullpen. Matthews pops out to center. Gamecocks lead 2-1 ... Walker in at first, Vergason to second, and Belcher in to pitch.

TOP 4 - Micklon singles to start the inning. He's cut down on a fielders choice. It was a perfect double play ball, but Pankake's feed to Costen at second was low. Costen threw from a low angle and the ball hit the runners arm. USC wants interference, but I don't know that I saw anything aside from a normal slide. I'm a long way away though. It was hard for me to tell. No TV replays. Bryant is gunned down by Greiner attempting to steal and the next hitter flies to right to end the inning. Still 1-1.

BOTTOM 3 - TJ Costen begins the third with a triple to the gap in right center. He has a late slide into third and gets up and walks around gingerly. Grabbed his left hammy at one point. I know he had a problem with that in the fall. He stays in the game though. I'll keep an eye on him. Marzilli grounds to first to bring him in. English strikes out. Greiner goes down looking no an inside fastball. Fans complaining, but Blue has been consistent. He's been calling it in off the plate to right-handed hitters all game. Both sides. Score tied 1-1.

TOP 3 - Montgomery gives up a leadoff single to start the third to nine-hole hitter Billy Motroni. The southpaw gets Grammer swinging at a pretty nice curve ball for out number one. Williams pops the first pitch he sees to Marzilli in center. He takes a couple of steps back and settles under it for the second out. Three-hole hitter Lizanich grounds to third. Dantzler makes the play for the final out of the inning. PC leads 1-0.

BOTTOM 2 - Pankake pops up to third. Matthews grounds out to third. Payne grounds back to the pitcher. PC leads 1-0.

TOP 2 - Very nice play by LB Dantzler at third base. He continues to impress me defensively over there. I guess it should be to a point by now where I'm not surprised, and I guess I'm not, but just continually impressed. English hauls in a lazy fly ball for out number two. TJ Costen brings in a pop fly to end the inning. PC leads 1-0.

BOTTOM 1 - Marzilli grounds a single through the right side and is bunted up by English. Greiner hits a slicing flare in foul territory, which is caught by the first baseman for the second out of the inning. Celek up to the dish. He takes a seven pitch walk to bring Dantzler to the dish. He takes a borderline 3-1 call for a strike and then lines out to left to end the inning. PC leads 1-0.

TOP 1 - Presbyterian gets a run across in the top of the first. Grammer, the team's best player, hits a line drive single up the middle and two-hole hitter Williams is hit by a pitch. They're sacrificed up. Tony Micklon hits a flare to right field and it falls between Costen and Matthews bringing home a run and putting runners on the corners. Montgomery gets out of it without any further damage getting big bopper Kenny Bryant to ground into a double play. PC leads 1-0

South Carolina

CF Evan Marzilli
LF Tanner English
C Grayson Greiner
1B Brison Celek
3B LB Dantzler
SS Joey Pankake
RF Adam Matthews
DH Erik Payne
2B TJ Costen
LHP Jordan Montgomery

Presbyterian

CF Gabe Grammer
2B Andrew Williams
3B Jay Lizanich
LF Tony Micklon
1B Kenny Bryant
DH Matt Peden
C Robby Swab
RF Brandon Paul
SS Billy Motroni
LHP Beau Dess

Absolutely beautiful day for baseball here at Carolina Stadium. For those who like this kind of thing, Gamecocks are in the all whites with the Carolina in block garnet letters across the front. Garnet caps, obviously. No lineups yet, but stay tuned. It will probably be the usual lineup, but I expect the bench to be emptied today.