The two-time defending College World Series winners faced VMI on Friday to start 2012 before a sellout crowd at Carolina Stadium
/ USC
COLUMBIA (WACH) - L.B. Dantzler’s two-out RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning helped lift second ranked South Carolina to a 2-1 victory over VMI on Opening Day at Carolina Stadium in front of a sellout crowd of 8,242 fans.
Three Gamecock hurlers combined to limit the Keydets to one run on five hits while striking out 11 batters in the victory.
Game two of the series is now scheduled for noon Saturday.
USC junior left-hander Tyler Webb earned the win out of the bullpen with 2 1/3 quality relief innings allowing one hit while striking out four batters. Koumas earned his first save with 2/3 scoreless innings. Michael Roth was solid in his first start of the year allowing one run on four hits with six strikeouts and no walks in the no-decision.
It was a festive day at Carolina Stadium as the Gamecocks celebrated back-to-back national championships in a pregame ceremony. Several former Gamecock players from the ’11 team were in attendance including Robert Beary, Jackie Bradley Jr., Bryan Harper, Peter Mooney, Adrian Morales, Steven Neff, John Taylor, Brady Thomas and Scott Wingo. Bradley, the 2010 College World Series Most Outstanding Player and Wingo, the 2011 College World Series Most Outstanding Player, each threw out ceremonial first pitches before the game.
