COLUMBIA, S.C. (Interstat) — Tyler Fay pitched seven innings of no-hit baseball and Luke Vaughn crushed two home runs as the Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks 8-3 on Friday afternoon at Carolina Stadium.

Fay struck out 10 batters and allowed just one earned run over seven innings, handing the Gamecocks their fourth consecutive loss. The Alabama right-hander, who entered the game with a 5-4 victory over Vanderbilt in his last start, retired the first seven batters he faced before walking Tyler Bak in the bottom of the first. He permitted only two baserunners over the next three innings before finally surrendering a leadoff double to Ethan LeCroy in the fourth. That hit ended Fay’s no-hit bid, and LeCroy later scored on a single by KJ Scobey to cut Alabama’s lead to 4-1.

Fay rebounded to retire the next two hitters and worked a perfect fifth inning. He exited after the seventh having allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out 10. Sam Mitchell replaced Fay in the eighth and was greeted by a South Carolina rally that trimmed the deficit to 8-3, but Alabama’s bullpen held on.

Vaughn provided the early offense with a solo home run in the second inning that opened the scoring. After two walks and a single and a stolen base, Justin Lebron followed with a three-run homer to left field that extended Alabama’s lead to 4-0. Vaughn struck again in the eighth, launching a two-run shot to left that made it 7-1. He finished the game 2 for 4 with two home runs and three RBIs.

Lebron went 1 for 4 with the three-run homer and three RBIs. Bryce Fowler added an RBI single in the seventh, and Eric Hines tripled in the sixth but was thrown out at third on a fielder’s choice.

South Carolina starter Amp Phillips lasted 5 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on four hits while striking out three. He was replaced by Greg Marlatt, who gave up Vaughn’s second homer. Josh Gregoire finished with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out three.

The Gamecocks’ offense managed only four hits. LeCroy doubled and scored on Scobey’s single in the fourth. In the eighth, after Mitchell entered, Bak singled and LeCroy struck out, then Lizama doubled to put runners at second and third. A wild pitch brought Bak home, and another wild pitch allowed Lizama to score, making it 8-3. Mitchell struck out three but surrendered two earned runs. He struck out Branden Harman to end the inning.

Alabama improved to 33-17 overall with the win, while South Carolina fell to 22-28. The two teams continue the series Saturday and Sunday at Carolina Stadium.

The game was a Southeastern Conference matchup that saw Alabama collect nine hits to South Carolina’s four. The Crimson Tide committed one error but it did not lead to a run. Alabama’s defense turned two double plays.

The Interstat game simulator had projected a final score of Alabama 5, South Carolina 3, and the Interstat ELO system gave Alabama a 60.20 percent probability of winning. Alabama entered the game as a pregame favorite with a spread of plus-1.5 runs.