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Furman Trims 18th-Ranked South Carolina 6-2
May 4, 2005
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Nick Hollstegge pitched 2 2/3 innings of no-hit ball and earned his second save against a Southeastern Conference opponent in a week to lead Furman to a 6-2 win over nationally 18th-ranked South Carolina in front of 2,922 fans at Municipal Stadium Wednesday night.
Hollstegge, a sophomore righthander from West Chester, Ohio, who earned a save in the Paladins' 3-2 victory over then nationally 18th-ranked Tennessee last Wednesday in Knoxville, struck out four and walked only one to deliver a school record eighth straight victory to Furman (22-20).
"We got another outstanding pitching performance tonight, and that really was the difference," said Furman head coach Ron Smith, whose pitching trio of Matt Klinker, Ryan Hudson, and Hollstegge combined for 11 strikeouts while limiting South Carolina (32-13) to only four hits. The Gamecocks stranded 10 runners in the contest.
The victory was the second for Furman in the last three meetings with South Carolina. The Paladins edged the Gamecocks 7-5 in Greenville in 2003.
Hudson (2-2) earned the victory after pitching 2 1/3 innings and surrendering one run on two hits while striking out three in relief of Klinker, who held USC to only two hits and a run before departing in the fifth with a 3-1 lead.
Furman scratched out six hits -- all singles -- against Gamecock pitching, but the Paladins took advantage of a pair of USC errors and four wild pitches to score two unearned runs.
Furman struck for three runs in the bottom of the first off Gamecock starter and losing pitcher Wynn Pelzer (1-2). Ben Terry and Andrew Greene opened the game with walks, and Case Cassedy was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Matthew Betsill singled to right field to score Terry, and Greene scored on a double play groundout. Sam McLain then struck out swinging, but USC catcher Ryan Mahoney's throw to first base to complete the play was high, allowing McLain to reach and Cassedy to score the third run of the frame.
South Carolina made it 3-1 in the third inning. With one out Michael Campbell and Steven Tolleson drew walks, and Steve Pearce laced a double off the left field wall to score Campbell. Klinker recovered by striking out Phil Disher and Mahoney to end the inning.
Nick Wajda walked to lead off the Furman fifth, advanced to second on a Terry sacrifice, and to a third on a wild pitch. Greene then lined out to a drawn in second baseman Chris Brown, and Brown's throw to third base appeared to double off Wajda, who was ruled safe. Cassedy then followed with a solid single to right field to plate Wajda to give Furman a 4-2 lead.
South Carolina's Brendan Winn's leadoff home run in the seventh off Hudson made it 4-2. With one out, Campbell reached on catcher's interference and Tolleson walked. Hollstegge came on in relief of Hudson and threw a wild pitch, allowing Campbell and Tolleson to advance, but the Paladin reliever got out of inning by getting Pearce on a popup and striking out pinch hitter Jon Willard.
Furman added two insurance runs in the eighth inning for a 6-2 advantage. Greene led off with a single and advanced to second on a groundout. He moved to third on a two-out wild pitch by Conor Lalor and, following a walk to Davidiuk, came home after Lalor's replacement, John Gregory, also skipped a pitch to the backstop -- the Gamecocks' fourth wild pitch of the game. Sean McDonnough's grounder to shortstop bounced off Tolleson's glove into center field, allowing Davidiuk to make it 6-2.
In the ninth Hollstegge struck out Brown and Campbell before issuing a walk to Tolleson. Pearce then hit a grounder to left of Betsill at third base, but Davidiuk speared it in short left field, turned, and threw to second base to force Tolleson for the game's final out.
Furman returns to action on Friday when it takes on nationally 26th-ranked College of Charleston in Charleston beginning at 7:00 p.m.
