Notes and Quotes: USC-Vanderbilt Game 2
NASHVILLE – Notes and quotes from Friday night’s 4-0 victory for South Carolina over Vanderbilt at Hawkins Stadium
NOTES
-- The shutout win was South Carolina’s fifth of the season, and comes six days after the Gamecocks blanked Ole Miss, 4-0, in Oxford.
-- Friday’s win means USC’s longest losing streak of the season remains two games.
-- Alex Destino's single in the second inning extended his hitting streak to 20 games. It is the longest hitting streak by a Gamecock since Jackie Bradley Jr. hit safely in 22 consecutive games in the 2010 season.
-- Gene Cone's single in the third inning extended his hitting streak to 14 games. Cone went 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
-- Destino and Cone were the only Gamecock players with multiple hits on Friday. They each collected two hits to spark the USC offensive attack.
-- Braden Webb (11 K) and Josh Reagan (2 K) combined for 13 strikeouts on Friday. Together, they faced 30 Vanderbilt batters, three over three minimum. They threw 125 pitches, 76 for strikes.
-- USC is scheduled to start freshman Adam Hill Saturday in the rubber game of the 3-game series. Hill is 5-0 with a 1.91 ERA in 28.1 IP with 41 strikeouts and seven walks. Vanderbilt is expected to start junior RHP Hayden Stone, who is 0-1 with a 1.74 ERA in 10.1 IP this season. His longest outing has been 2.0 innings
QUOTES:
Chad Holbrook on the importance of Saturday’s rubber game: “There are a lot of ways to look at it. Hate to throw coachspeak at you, but we’re just taking it one game at a time. It looks great if you win a series at Vanderbilt, but we haven’t won the series yet. I’m proud of what we have through eight games (7-1) in this league. We have a long way to go. Right now, I’m proud of my team. But we have a lot to improve upon. We have some guys banged up that can get in there and make a difference.”
Holbrook on freshman catcher Chris Cullen, who threw out two would-be Vanderbilt base stealers: “He played with some juice and energy tonight. That’s all I ask him to do. He was on edge tonight. He was very impressive behind the plate. Catching Braden Webb is not easy.”
Holbrook on Braden Webb’s curveball: “It’s a good breaking ball when he’s throwing it for strikes. With Braden, if he is throwing all of his pitches for strikes, he is very difficult to hit because all of his pitches are plus. His change-up is a big league pitch, his fastball is 93-94 and his curveball (is outstanding). Makes it very difficult on a hitter to handle him when he is throwing in the strike zone. He has bene that way the past two games.”
Alex Destino on Braden Webb: “That kid pitched the game of his life in somebody else’s place against a very talented team. My hat is off to him. I’m still trying to take in what he did. That was awesome.”
Braden Webb on possibly pitching the ninth: “I was trying (to go back out there). But we have a great bullpen. It’s our job to do what we can to push it to the late innings so we don’t have to use the bullpen and save their arms for another day. I was a little upset, but you just have to go about your business. We have guys. Josh Reagan came out and 1-2-3 punchouts. You can’t ask for anything better than that.”
Braden Webb on carrying no-hitter into the 6th inning: “After I gave up the hit, I came back to the dugout, looked up and said, ‘Wow, I just gave up my first hit!” I’m not worried about that, though. I’m worried about getting guys out and helping my team.”
Braden Webb on his progression from his first start of the season to Friday night’s gem at Vandy: “I’m still working on my location. I feel each time I go out I’m getting better and better at it. I’m a freshman, I’m still trying to learn. I’m working with Coach Meyers every day and that has helped me out a lot.”
SEC SCORES (Friday April 1)
South Carolina 4, Vanderbilt 0
Florida 7, Texas A&M 4
Tennessee 14, Kentucky 5
Georgia 7, Alabama 1
Mississippi State 3, Ole Miss 1
Arkansas 7, Missouri 6
LSU at Auburn, PPD
SEC EAST STANDINGS:
South Carolina 7-1
Florida 5-2
Vanderbilt 5-3
Kentucky 4-3
Tennessee 3-4
Georgia 3-5
Missouri 0-7
