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COLUMBIA – South Carolina scored seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings on the way to a 9-3 victory over Florida on Thursday night in the series opener at Carolina Stadium in front of a sellout crowd of 8,242 fans. 

Carolina improves to 17-5 and 1-3 in the SEC while Florida drops to 20-2 and 3-1 in league play.  Game two of the series is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. and will be televised live on CSS and on Time Warner Cable channel 506 in Columbia.

The pitching matchup between South Carolina starter Michael Roth and Florida starter Hudson Randall was as good as advertised.  Roth went 6 2/3 innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits with five strikeouts and three walks.  Randall worked 5 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on seven hits with 11 strikeouts and one walk.  Neither one figured in the decision.

With the score tied 2-2, Evan Marzilli led off the Carolina seventh with his third single of the night, forcing Florida to call the designated hitter, Austin Maddox from the bullpen to face Joey Pankake. The shortstop would lay down a sacrifice bunt to move Marzilli into scoring position. Christian Walker stepped to the plate and quickly went down 0-2 in the count, but for the second time on the evening, he came back to earn a walk. LB Dantzler would earn the same fate, as he walked on five pitches to load the bases for pinch hitter Kyle Martin. The freshman came through for Carolina, roping a two-run single down the right field line to put the Gamecocks up 4-2. South Carolina was not done yet though, as second baseman Erik Payne came to the plate with two outs and runners on the corners. The sophomore ripped a line drive to the right-center wall, clearing the bases and putting Carolina up 6-2 heading into the eighth inning.

Matt Price earned the win with 2 1/3 innings of relief, allowing one run, unearned, on no hits with three walks and three strikeouts.  He is 3-1 on the year.  Florida reliever Steven Rodriguez suffered the loss and is 3-1 for the season.

Carolina’s 12-hit day included  3-for-4 games from Evan Marzilli and Adam Matthews.  Tanner English also was 2-for-4.  Martin, Matthews and Erik Payne each drove in two runs.  Daniel Pigott led Florida with a 2-for-4 day at the plate.

(USC Sports Information contributed to this report.)