In a series opener moved twice due to bad weather in Columbia, the No. 1 Texas Longhorns were dominant offensively to overcome the worst start of left-hander Pete Hansen’s stellar career, beating the South Carolina Gamecocks 9-5 behind three home runs and 14 hits.
First baseman Ivan Melendez wasted little time announcing his presence at Founders Park, smashing a first-inning home run off the batter’s eye in center field on a hanging breaking ball after center fielder Douglas Hodo III led off the game with a single.
Hansen promptly gave up the lead, allowing three runs on four hits in the bottom of the first, matching the worst performance of his career in runs allowed after only three outs.