USC-ECU Game 3 Blog
posted by Scott Hood on Sunday, February 24, 2008
4:55 - Darnell singles to center. Tying run on base. Smoak up batting right-handed. Close call on 1-2 pitch. He walks. Runners on 1&2 with 0 outs. Crisp may be sacrificing here. He does. Nice bunt. Two runners in scoring position. Lail up.
4:50 - We go to the bottom of the 11th with ECU ahead, 6-5. Darnell, Smoak and Crisp due for USC.
4:45 - Dyson walks his first batter on 4 pitches. All the pitches were high and inside. When I saw him in a scrimmage a couple of weeks ago everything was high. There's a single to LF. Here comes the runner! Safe!! ECU leads 6-5.
4:40 - Johnson still pitching for USC. Single, sacrfice for ECU. Runner at second. Flyout to left. 2 outs. Here comes tanner. That's it for Johnson. Remarkable performance for the senior from Dumter. 6.2 IP, 4 hits, 5 K, 3 BB, 1 run. Sam Dyson makes his debut for USC.
4:36 - 5-3 groundout. WE go to the 11th tied at 5-5.
4:35 - Wingo strikes out. Int BB to Havens. Runners on 1&2 with 2 outs. Merrifield up.
4:30 - Crisp sacrifices Enders to 2B. Wingo up. Here comes the ECU coach. Pitching change for the Pirates. LHP to face the left-handed hitting Wingo. Josh Ruhlman is the pitcher.
4:25 - Base hit past 3B for Enders. Great job right there. Andrew Crisp pinch-hitting for Mack. He's looking to bunt.
4:20 - ECU down in the top of the 10th. We go to the bottom half with the score still tied at 5-5. Enders, Mack and Wingo due. The sun is now trying to break through.
4:12 - Pinch-runner for Disher. First pitch to Lail. 4-6-3 DP. WE GO TO EXTRA INNINGS.
4:08 - Smoak walks on four pitches. Nothing even close. There was no way the ECU pitcher was going to give him anything good to hit. Disher up. He's fanned three times today. Time to be a hero, though. Bunt. Pitcher throws to second to get Smoak. 1-6 FC. Lail up.
4:05 - 5-3 sacrifice. Tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position. USC plays the middle infielders back. 4-3 groundout. Here comes the tying run across the plate. It's 5-5. 6-3 groundout for the final out. WE GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THE NINTH. Smoak, Disher, Lail due.
4:00 - Sam Dyson warming up in the bullpen just in case. Double to CF on the first pitch. No one covered 2B again! Pinch-hitter for ECU. Walk. Runners at 1&2, no outs.
3:55 - Beautiful bunt single by Merrifield. Runners on the corners for Darnell. 2 outs. FC 5-4. Close play at second. WE GO TO THE NINTH. USC LEADS 5-4.
3:50 - Infield hit for Wingo. USC has runner at first, 1 out inthe bottom of the 8th. Top of the order due with Havens. HIt and run groundout to 3B. Wingo moves to 2B. Merrifield up. He's homered today.
3:45 - USC has the lead for the first time. It's up to Johnson to hold it now. There's a great diving catch by Lail in RF. He's had a great day with a double, triple and now a terrific catch. There's a K for the 3rd out! We go to the bottom of the 8th with USC ahead 5-4. Mack, Wingo and Havens due for USC.
3:30 - USC has problems here in the 7th. Single and double (noone was covering 2B) have runners on 2&3. Intentional BB. Bases loaded, one out. Johnson needs to hold here. Big sequence right here. Roller to 2B. 4-6-3 DP! Great scoop by Smoak at 1B. That could be a momentum changer right there. We'll see.
3:25 - Wingo was HBP with 1 out in the bottom of the 6th but nothing came of it. WE go to the 7th with ECU still ahead, 4-3. The last runs were scored in the 4th. Johnson needs to keep ECU off the scoreboard.
3:20 - Johnson sets down ECU in order in the top of the 6th. He's retired 6 straight. USC trails 4-3 going to the bottom of the 6th. Mack, Wingo, Havens due for USC.
3:10 - Some more 2-out lightning for USC? Lail triples with 2 outs. He barely missed a HR. The ball hit off the top of the RCF wall. But there's a 4-3 groundout by Enders. USC was 6 inches from tying the game.
3:05 - Johnson comes in and shuts the door in the Pirates with a FC (U-5), K and 6-3. The ECU lead stays at 4-3. We go to the bottom of the 5th.
3:00 - Another walk by Thomas. Here comes Tanner. That's it for him. He goes 4 IP and throws 70 pitches. He allowed five hits and walked two and fanned two. He's responsible for 2 base runners. This is Johnson's first appearance of the season.
2:55 - Ugh. You get back into the game and you walk the leadoff hitter the following inning. Cutis Johnson warming up in the bullpen for USC. Calvi is out for a visit. Stolen base. Runner on 2B, no outs for ECU.
2:45 - Havens walks with 2 outs. Let's see if USC can get a jolt of 2-out lightning. Yes! Merrifield blasts a 2-run HR to center. It's his second HR of the season. USC now trails by just one run at 4-3. The 2-out walk hurts ECU there. Merrifield had 3 RBI this season.
2:40 - ECU adds a run in the top of the 4th to counter the run USC just scored. Leadoff triple and SF to RF scores the run. ECU leads 4-1 as we go to the bottom of the 4th.
2:25 - Darnell reaches on E6. Smoak up. He fans. Disher fans. Two outs. Lail up. There's a drive to the LCF gap. Double Here comes Darnell. He scores. USC now trails 3-1. Unearned run for USC.
2:20 - K ends the top of the 3rd. USC comes up trailing 3-0. They have scored just four runs in their last 11 at-bats. Time to get the offense going.
2:15 - Home run by ECU on the first pitch in the top of the 3rd. ECU now leads 3-0. Thomas has given up two HR's.
2:10 - USC has something brewing here. Wingo doubles to LF. Runners at 2&3 with 1 out. Havens up. He's red hot. Havens fouled out to the catcher. That hurt. Merrfield fouls out to the 1B. Wasted opportunity there. We go the 3rd with ECU ahead, 2-0.
:05 - Enders leads off the bottom of the 2nd with a walk. Third of the game by the ECU pitcher. Mack grounds into 4-6 FC. Man on first, 1 out.
1:55 - Top of the 2nd. Single and sacrifice. ECU has runner at 2B with 1 out. There it goes. Opposite field HR for ECU. They lead 2-0. WE go to the bottom of the 2nd with ECU ahead.
1:50 - Disher walks. Bases loaded for Lail. 2 outs. The ECU pitcher refused to throw anything on the inside part of the plate. 1-2 on Lail. Swing and a miss. Rnd of the inning. 3 LOB. 0-0 going to the 2nd.
1:45 - Bottom of the 1st. Another hit for Havens. Single to RF. Havens is now 7-for-11 in the series. Merrifield sacrifices and Darnell flies to CF. Two outs. Smoak works a 3-2 count. ECU elects to put him on. Disher up.
1:35 - We're underway at the Sarge. First pitch from Thomas is ripped into RF for a single. Sacrifice and groundout. 2 outs, runner at second for ECU. Hit batter. Runners at 1 & 2. Liner to SS. We go to the bottom of the 1st 0-0.
1:20 - We're about 10 minutes from the start of the game. Final preparations are being made to the field right now. Both teams have finished infield practice. The starting lineup are being introduced. USC is wearing new uniforms. They're garnet/red with wide white stripes going up the sleeves onto the shoulder area.
12:55 - We're live at chilly Sarge Frye Field for Sunday's baseball game between USC and East Carolina. This is the rubber game of the 3-game series, as the team split Saturday's day-night DH. Here is USC's starting lineup for today's game:
Havens - 6
Merrifield - 8
Darnell - 5
Smoak - 3
Disher - DH
Lail - 9
Enders - 2
Mack - 7
Wingo - 4
Thomas - P
The lineup is identical to Game 1 on Saturday. Thomas is making his first career start for USC.
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5:00 - Lail walked intentionally to load the bases with 1 out. Here comes the ECU coach. Meeting on the mound. Enders up. 1-2 count. There's a line drive, but it's just foul by 5-10 feet down LF line. Another foul. The So. is hanging in tough. Another foul. BASE HIT! 2 RUNS SCORE!! USC WINS 7-6!!!!
4:55 - Darnell singles to center. Tying run on base. Smoak up batting right-handed. Close call on 1-2 pitch. He walks. Runners on 1&2 with 0 outs. Crisp may be sacrificing here. He does. Nice bunt. Two runners in scoring position. Lail up.
4:50 - We go to the bottom of the 11th with ECU ahead, 6-5. Darnell, Smoak and Crisp due for USC.
4:45 - Dyson walks his first batter on 4 pitches. All the pitches were high and inside. When I saw him in a scrimmage a couple of weeks ago everything was high. There's a single to LF. Here comes the runner! Safe!! ECU leads 6-5.
4:40 - Johnson still pitching for USC. Single, sacrfice for ECU. Runner at second. Flyout to left. 2 outs. Here comes tanner. That's it for Johnson. Remarkable performance for the senior from Dumter. 6.2 IP, 4 hits, 5 K, 3 BB, 1 run. Sam Dyson makes his debut for USC.
4:36 - 5-3 groundout. WE go to the 11th tied at 5-5.
4:35 - Wingo strikes out. Int BB to Havens. Runners on 1&2 with 2 outs. Merrifield up.
4:30 - Crisp sacrifices Enders to 2B. Wingo up. Here comes the ECU coach. Pitching change for the Pirates. LHP to face the left-handed hitting Wingo. Josh Ruhlman is the pitcher.
4:25 - Base hit past 3B for Enders. Great job right there. Andrew Crisp pinch-hitting for Mack. He's looking to bunt.
4:20 - ECU down in the top of the 10th. We go to the bottom half with the score still tied at 5-5. Enders, Mack and Wingo due. The sun is now trying to break through.
4:12 - Pinch-runner for Disher. First pitch to Lail. 4-6-3 DP. WE GO TO EXTRA INNINGS.
4:08 - Smoak walks on four pitches. Nothing even close. There was no way the ECU pitcher was going to give him anything good to hit. Disher up. He's fanned three times today. Time to be a hero, though. Bunt. Pitcher throws to second to get Smoak. 1-6 FC. Lail up.
4:05 - 5-3 sacrifice. Tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position. USC plays the middle infielders back. 4-3 groundout. Here comes the tying run across the plate. It's 5-5. 6-3 groundout for the final out. WE GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THE NINTH. Smoak, Disher, Lail due.
4:00 - Sam Dyson warming up in the bullpen just in case. Double to CF on the first pitch. No one covered 2B again! Pinch-hitter for ECU. Walk. Runners at 1&2, no outs.
3:55 - Beautiful bunt single by Merrifield. Runners on the corners for Darnell. 2 outs. FC 5-4. Close play at second. WE GO TO THE NINTH. USC LEADS 5-4.
3:50 - Infield hit for Wingo. USC has runner at first, 1 out inthe bottom of the 8th. Top of the order due with Havens. HIt and run groundout to 3B. Wingo moves to 2B. Merrifield up. He's homered today.
3:45 - USC has the lead for the first time. It's up to Johnson to hold it now. There's a great diving catch by Lail in RF. He's had a great day with a double, triple and now a terrific catch. There's a K for the 3rd out! We go to the bottom of the 8th with USC ahead 5-4. Mack, Wingo and Havens due for USC.
3:30 - USC has problems here in the 7th. Single and double (noone was covering 2B) have runners on 2&3. Intentional BB. Bases loaded, one out. Johnson needs to hold here. Big sequence right here. Roller to 2B. 4-6-3 DP! Great scoop by Smoak at 1B. That could be a momentum changer right there. We'll see.
3:25 - Wingo was HBP with 1 out in the bottom of the 6th but nothing came of it. WE go to the 7th with ECU still ahead, 4-3. The last runs were scored in the 4th. Johnson needs to keep ECU off the scoreboard.
3:20 - Johnson sets down ECU in order in the top of the 6th. He's retired 6 straight. USC trails 4-3 going to the bottom of the 6th. Mack, Wingo, Havens due for USC.
3:10 - Some more 2-out lightning for USC? Lail triples with 2 outs. He barely missed a HR. The ball hit off the top of the RCF wall. But there's a 4-3 groundout by Enders. USC was 6 inches from tying the game.
3:05 - Johnson comes in and shuts the door in the Pirates with a FC (U-5), K and 6-3. The ECU lead stays at 4-3. We go to the bottom of the 5th.
3:00 - Another walk by Thomas. Here comes Tanner. That's it for him. He goes 4 IP and throws 70 pitches. He allowed five hits and walked two and fanned two. He's responsible for 2 base runners. This is Johnson's first appearance of the season.
2:55 - Ugh. You get back into the game and you walk the leadoff hitter the following inning. Cutis Johnson warming up in the bullpen for USC. Calvi is out for a visit. Stolen base. Runner on 2B, no outs for ECU.
2:45 - Havens walks with 2 outs. Let's see if USC can get a jolt of 2-out lightning. Yes! Merrifield blasts a 2-run HR to center. It's his second HR of the season. USC now trails by just one run at 4-3. The 2-out walk hurts ECU there. Merrifield had 3 RBI this season.
2:40 - ECU adds a run in the top of the 4th to counter the run USC just scored. Leadoff triple and SF to RF scores the run. ECU leads 4-1 as we go to the bottom of the 4th.
2:25 - Darnell reaches on E6. Smoak up. He fans. Disher fans. Two outs. Lail up. There's a drive to the LCF gap. Double Here comes Darnell. He scores. USC now trails 3-1. Unearned run for USC.
2:20 - K ends the top of the 3rd. USC comes up trailing 3-0. They have scored just four runs in their last 11 at-bats. Time to get the offense going.
2:15 - Home run by ECU on the first pitch in the top of the 3rd. ECU now leads 3-0. Thomas has given up two HR's.
2:10 - USC has something brewing here. Wingo doubles to LF. Runners at 2&3 with 1 out. Havens up. He's red hot. Havens fouled out to the catcher. That hurt. Merrfield fouls out to the 1B. Wasted opportunity there. We go the 3rd with ECU ahead, 2-0.
:05 - Enders leads off the bottom of the 2nd with a walk. Third of the game by the ECU pitcher. Mack grounds into 4-6 FC. Man on first, 1 out.
1:55 - Top of the 2nd. Single and sacrifice. ECU has runner at 2B with 1 out. There it goes. Opposite field HR for ECU. They lead 2-0. WE go to the bottom of the 2nd with ECU ahead.
1:50 - Disher walks. Bases loaded for Lail. 2 outs. The ECU pitcher refused to throw anything on the inside part of the plate. 1-2 on Lail. Swing and a miss. Rnd of the inning. 3 LOB. 0-0 going to the 2nd.
1:45 - Bottom of the 1st. Another hit for Havens. Single to RF. Havens is now 7-for-11 in the series. Merrifield sacrifices and Darnell flies to CF. Two outs. Smoak works a 3-2 count. ECU elects to put him on. Disher up.
1:35 - We're underway at the Sarge. First pitch from Thomas is ripped into RF for a single. Sacrifice and groundout. 2 outs, runner at second for ECU. Hit batter. Runners at 1 & 2. Liner to SS. We go to the bottom of the 1st 0-0.
1:20 - We're about 10 minutes from the start of the game. Final preparations are being made to the field right now. Both teams have finished infield practice. The starting lineup are being introduced. USC is wearing new uniforms. They're garnet/red with wide white stripes going up the sleeves onto the shoulder area.
12:55 - We're live at chilly Sarge Frye Field for Sunday's baseball game between USC and East Carolina. This is the rubber game of the 3-game series, as the team split Saturday's day-night DH. Here is USC's starting lineup for today's game:
Havens - 6
Merrifield - 8
Darnell - 5
Smoak - 3
Disher - DH
Lail - 9
Enders - 2
Mack - 7
Wingo - 4
Thomas - P
The lineup is identical to Game 1 on Saturday. Thomas is making his first career start for USC.
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Scott Hood. Since February of 2005, Scott has covered the South Carolina football, men's basketball and baseball programs for GamecockCentral. He may be reached by email at scottblog(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.