South Carolina hosted UConn for the Super-Regionals in Columbia and swept the series in two games by scores of 5-1 and 8-2.
Saturday…The first game of the series didn’t start the way USC would have liked. After Michael Roth set down the first two batters, a single to centerfield by George Springer was mishandled, and he ended up on second. UConn then got a single and a one run lead. In the Gamecock half of the first, Matt Barnes struck out the side. UConn had the momentum and continued it into the second. The leadoff batter reached on a throwing error. A sacrifice and a walk later, there were runners on the corners. On a 2-0 count, UConn tried a safety squeeze. It failed when Christian Walker charged and threw the runner out a home. That play stole the momentum back and a fly ball on the next pitch secured it.
The offense didn’t get going yet, but the defense was in sync. In the top of the third a leadoff single was erased on a 5-4-3 double play. Adrian Morales made a great defensive play to start the double play, and Scott Wingo had a very quick turn. With two outs in the bottom of the third, the offense would start to get to Barnes. Evan Marzilli doubled, and Scott Wingo drove him in to tie the game at 1. Carolina took the lead in the fourth. The scoring again came with two outs. Jake Wiliams walked. Peter Mooney followed that with a single, and there were runners on the corners. Matt Barnes threw a wild pitch, and Williams came home to take the lead.
In the top of the fifth, Roth got his first 1-2-3 inning. The offense opened the game up in the fifth. Steven Neff led off with a double and advanced to third when the left fielder could’t field the ball cleanly. After a strikeout, Wingo single Neff home. Another wild pitch allowed Wingo to move the second, and he scored on Walker’s single to right. Walker advanced to second on a passed ball and scored on Brady Thomas’s RBI single. Thomas advanced to second on the play and to third on Adrian Morales’s single. After that, the great Matt Barnes was lifted from the game after 4 1/3 innings with his team trailing 5-1.
Michael Roth really seemed to get into a groove, and he held the Huskies down into the ninth. John Taylor entered with one out in the ninth and induced two ground outs to second to end the game.
Sunday…South Carolina was the away team for Sunday’s game. They started off the game like they started Saturday’s: by having the side struck out. Also like Saturday, UConn scored first. After two quick outs in the second, the Huskies put together 4 straight base hits to take a two run lead. Beary led off the next inning with a double, but he was stranded there. The offense broke through in the fourth. Brady Thomas scored on Jake Williams’s double. In the UConn fifth the Huskies threatened again. An error and a single put runners on first and second. After a fly out, Scott Wingo snagged a line drive and then threw to first for a double play to end the UConn threat. In the sixth Adrian Morales came around to tie the game on Robert Beary’s two out single. UConn tried to answer in the bottom of the sixth, and they loaded the bases with one out. John Taylor then induced a come backer which he turned into a 1-2-3 double play. A UConn lead off single in the seventh was also wiped off the board by a double play, this one a 4-6-3 variety.
Christian Walker led off the eighth inning by hitting a change up out to left field. That set the stage for Matt Price to come into the game. Price came in and gave up a single but nothing else. In the ninth, South Carolina blew the game open. Marzilli walked and then Wingo had a bunt single which moved Marzilli to third. Walker was intentionally walked. Brady Thomas just missed a grand slam to left field, but did get a sac fly. Morales was then intentionally walked to reload the bases. Jake Williams was then hit by the first pitch. Peter Mooney followed that with a double to right center scoring two. Robert Beary finished the scoring with a RBI ground out to make the score 8-2. Matt Price allowed a hit and a walk but also got a foul out and two strike outs to end the game.
Stars of the Series…Michael Roth…W, 8.1 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 6 H (all singles), 3 BB, 2 K…Matt Price…S, 2 IP, 0 R, 4 K, 2 H, 1 BB…John Taylor… 2 app, W, 2.1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 K, 1 BB…Scott Wingo…4-10, 2 R, 2 RBI…Christian Walker…HR, 2 RBI…Adrian Morales…3-8, SB, 2R, 2B…Brady Thomas, Jake Williams, Peter Mooney…2 RBI each…
This and that…South Carolina has now won 11 post season games in a row dating back to last season…The Gamecocks have won every post season game at Carolina Stadium and haven’t lost a home NCAA game since 2002…South Carolina is now 50-14 on the season…The Gamecocks finish the season 36-4 at home (.900)…Both super regional games were sell-outs….This will be USC’s 10th trip to Omaha…
What to Take From the Weekend…It’s pretty obvious. Any trip to the college world series is a successful season. This has been a great season, and we now get to watch to see how much better it can get.
Up next…Omaha. South Carolina plays Sunday night at 7 pm against Texas A&M.
