South Carolina beat Virginia 3-2 in 13 innings to return to the national championship series.
Danny Hultzen, the Cavaliers ace, started the game. The afternoon shadows were making it difficult to see, and that little advantage was all he would need. Hultzen struck out the first 6 batters he faced and 8 of 9. He left the game after the third inning, apparently because he was sick. While he was dealing, Virginia took the lead 1-0 in the second inning. A lead off walk came around to score. In the fourth inning, South Carolina put two runs on the board on a Brady Thomas double. That lead looked like it was going to hold up until the eighth inning when two Gamecock errors led to a Virginia run and a tie game.
The game then became a duel between the closers. Both closers, Braden Kline for Virginia and Matt Price for South Carolina, put runners on base and both closers worked out of those situations. The story of the game became just how many jams these two guys worked around.
In the lucky 13th inning, the Gamecocks finally broke through. Brady Thomas singled to centerfield. He was replaced by the swift Adam Matthews to pinch run. Peter Mooney sacrificed, but the UVa pitcher threw wide of second, and both runners were safe. Robert Beary then sacrificied, and the UVa pitcher threw the ball away trying to gun down Matthews at third. Matthews came home ending the game and sending USC to the championship game of the CWS.
It should be briefly noted, South Carolina has now won 14 straight NCAA tournament games which is a new record. The ‘Cocks are also undeafeted in 2011 postseason play. Matt Price has two wins in the College World Series this year.
The Gamecocks will face the Florida Gators in the best-of-three Championship Series that begins on Monday. Game time is set for 8 p.m. ET and the contest will be televised nationally on ESPN.
Check back with leftoverhotdog.com for more on this game and the upcoming Florida series.
