Raleigh Regional - Day 3 (USC-N.C. State Updates)
posted by Scott Hood, Sunday, June 01, 2008
10:10 - Lail, Enders, Wingo due here in the B9. They'll try to get it to Havens at the top of the order. Lail K's for the first out. No question he's had a disappointing season at the plate. There's a P-4 by Enders. 2 outs.
10:05 - NCS down 1-2-3 in the T9. Farotto retired all 6 batters he faced. A great job by him. We go to the B9 with USC trailing, 2-1. They need to score or the 2008 season will come to an end.
10:00 - USC down 1-2-3 in the B8, two by K. WE GO TO THE NINTH WITH USC TRAILING 2-1. USC has just 3 hits.
9:55 - We have a pitching change for NCS in the B* with 2 outs and nobody on. New pitcher is Alex Sogard, a LHP. He's a transfer from Oregon State.
9:50 - Farotto does the job in the T8 by retiring NCS in order. We go to the B8 with NCS leading 2-1. Darnell, Disher, Mack due.
9:45 - Smoak F-8 for the 3rd out. USC doesn't score in the B7, so we go to the T8 with USC trailing, 2-1. Alex Farotto is the new pitcher for USC.
9:40 - We're still in the B7. USC has runners at the corners for Smoak. Not surprisingly, the NCS pitching coach is out to the mound for a chat with the pitcher Drew Taylor.
9:30 - We have a pitching change for NCS here in the B7. Enders on 2B, 1 out. Havens up.
9:20 - NCS has taken a 2-1 lead in the T7 with an infield single to SS with the bases loaded off Bangs. U-5 force at 3B for the final out. We go to the B7 with NCS leading 2-1. Enders, Wingo, Havens due.
9:15 - We have a pitching change for USC here in the T7 with 2 outs, 2 on. Parker Bangs is the new pitcher. He's 3-3 with a 4.67 ERA in 27.0 IP with 34 strikeouts and 14 BB.
9:05 - Nice play by the NCS SS to end the B6. Crisp was thrown out. We go to the T7 with the score tied at 1-1. The two teams have combined for just 5 hits. NCS has three and USC two. One oof those USC hits was a solo HR by Havens in the B1. That's accounted for USC's only run. Lail playing RF for USC.
9:00 - NCS is held scoreless in the T6 despite getting 2 baserunenrs on. But a 6-4 FC ended the inning. Bangs is back up in the bullpen. We'll see if Atwood comes out for the 7th. Right now, we're going to the B6 with the score tied at 1-1. Great game so far.
8:55 - Parker Bangs is warming up in the USC bullpen as we start the T6.
8:50 - USC down 1-2-3 in the B5. 6 of the last 7 USC hitters have been retired. We go to the T6 with the score tied at 1-1. It's over in Athens. UGA has blanked Ga. tech, 8-0. Those two rivals will play Mon. for the right to advance to the Super Regional. That's the regional that's matched up with this one, so USC fans should pay close attention to the happenings there provided USC can win this game here.
8:45 - Sam Brown is pitching for NC State as we resume action. He replaces Surkamp. Time of the delay was 1:19.
8:40 - NC State has takent he field. We're about to resume. The score is tied at 1-1 in the B5. Merrifield at the plate. It looks like UGA is about the beat GT and force a winner-take-all game on Monday in Athens.
8:35 - When play resumes, here's the situation: we're in the bottom of the fifth inning. Whit Merrifield, the first batter of the inning, is at the plate with a 2-1 count. We've had not been told of an official resumptiontime. It looks like it will happen in the next 5-10 ninutes. It's probably up to the pitchers right now.
8:30 - Both teams continue to warm up here to resume the game. The fans are filing back into the ballpark. I've been checking the results of games involving SEC teams and it appears 4 of the 9 conference teams that started the NCAA Tournament are still alive. Florida and Arkansas were eliminated Saturday. Ole Miss, Alabama and Vanderbilt have been eliminated Sunday, Vandy lost a tough 11-10 game to Oklahoma on 2 runs in the B9. The four teams left right now are USC, Kentucky (playing Arizona), Georgia (playing Ga. Tech) and LSU (playing So. Miss). The SEC's NCAA Tourney record is currently 11-13 with four games ongoing right now.
8:25 - Will Atwood is warming up in the bullpen under the watchful eye of pitching coach Mark Calvi. It looks he will try to come back following the delay. I can't see the NCS bullpen, so I don't know if the Wolfpack starter is down there.
8:20 - The tarp is being taken off the field now. We're told that the game should resume in about 20 minutes after a warm-up period. The USC players are headed to the outfield to start throwing.
8:00 - It's raining here in Raleigh and the tarp is still on the field. It looks like it will be another 30-60 minutes at least before we resume play. The biggest question is what will happen to the pitchers when play resumes. I see Tanner and the N.C. Coach meeting with the NCAA Regional Director down on the field. I see about 10-12 USC players in the dugout.
7:25 - WE HAVE A LIGHTNING/SEVER WEATHER DELAY HERE IN RALEIGH. THE TARP IS BEING PUT ON THE FIELD. THIS LOOKS LIKE IT COULD BE A LENGTHY DELAY.
7:20 - NCS has tied the score at 1-1 with a solo HR in the T5 by Synan. The two batters got on with a single and walk but Atwood worked out of trouble. We go to the B5 with the score tied at 1-1. Merrifield, Smoak, Darnell due.
7:10 - USC down in the B4 without much going on. Wingo reached on a two-out HBP but that was all. Except for Havens' HR in the B1, not much has happened offensively for either team. We have a full-fledged pitchers' duel going on right on. Atwood has set down 12 of 13.
7:05 - Another great defensive play by USC in the T4. Merrifield chased down a deep fly in the LCF gap off the bat of Matt Payne. A walk ended Atwood's streak at 10 batters but that's all NCS got. We go to the B4 with USC leading, 1-0. USC is playing very well tonight. They look sharp and focused.
6:55 - USC left a pair of runners on base after 2 HBP with 2 outs in the B3. That's 5 LOB for USC through 3 Inn. We go to the T4 with USC leading, 1-0. Atwood is perfect through 3 Inn. We'll see how long it lasts.
6:45 - Havens is doing with his glove too. He made a sensational play in the hole for the first out in the T3. That might be the top defensive play of the year for the Gamecocks. He scooped up the ball and flipped it across the diamond for the out. Unbelievable play. K ends it. 9 up, 9 down for Atwood. We go to the B3 with USC leading, 1-0.
6:35 - Enders picks up a 1-out single in the B2 but that's it for USC. Havens flied deep to CF for the final out. He almost had his third HR in three trips to the plate.
6:25 - Atwood looks impressive again in the T2. He sets down the Wolfpack in order for the second straight inning. 6 up, 6 down so far. We go to the B2 with USC leading 1-0.
6:15 - Reese Havens does it again! He leads off the B1 with a HR down the RF line. USC leads 1-0. Havens is 4-for-11 in the regional with 2 HR and 4 RBI. Smoak grounded out and he's 7-for-12. Darnell and Disher walked with 2 outs, sending up Mack. He fanned. We go to the T2 with USC leading 1-0. The Gamecocks are 24-8 when they score in the 1st inning and 30-10 when they score first.
6:05 - Very good start for Atwood. The junior LHP retired all 3 NCS batters ro come to the plate. We're scoreless as we go to the B2. Another LHP, Eric Surkamp takes the hill for the Wolfpack.
6:00 - We're about ready to go here inthe second game of the day for USC. Again, this is a must-win situation for the Gamecocks. USC is the home team.
5:45 - Here is USC's starting linup with current stats. Atwood will be the starting pitcher.
Havens - 6 (.361-17 HR-56 RBI)
Merrifield - 8 (.330-3-26)
Smoak - 3 (.390-23-72)
Darnell - 5 (.308-19-81)
Disher - DH (.299-19-57)
Mack - 7 (.294-7-21)
Crisp - 9 (.301-2-23)
Enders - 2 (.255-5-25)
Wingo - 4 (.234-6-17)
Atwood - P (5-3, 5.47 ERA, 75.2 IP, 77 hits, 50 runs, 61 K, 31 BB,.272 OBA)
Eric Surkamp (5-2, 4.39 ERA in 69.2 IP) is the starting pitcher for USC.
5:40 - We're back in the press box following a short break between games. USC will face N.C. State starting at 6 p.m. USC is wearing its all-white uniforms with the white caps and garnet brim. We're still awaiting the starting lineups. We're told Will Atwood will start for USC, but I don't see anybody warming up in the bullpen yet.
***********************************************************************************
3:45 - Wingo opened the B9 with a single for his second hit of the afternoon. Havens up. He has 2 BB and a Sac. today. 3-2. THERE IT GOES!! ANOTHER WALK-OFF HOMER FOR HAVENS!!! USC WINS 7-5!! USC WILL PLAY N.C. STATE AT 6 P.M.
3:40 - P-6 ends the T9. We're tied at 5-5. USC will try to winit here. Wingo, Havens, Merrifield up.
3:35 - Bloop single to RF. 2 outs. Two runners on against Cisco. There's a ball into the gap! One run scores. Here comes the other runner. He's safe. We have a tie ball game. Ouch. It's 5-5. USC was one strike away from wrapping up the victory, but they'll need to hang on here.
3:30 - One out in the T9. There's a single. Here comes Tanner. That's it for Cooper. Craig Thomas is coming in. JMU goes to a PH. Strike three!!! 2 outs. Here comes Tanner again. Mike Cisco is coming in from the bullpen. He'll try to record his third career save right here.
3:25 - USC down in order in the B8. The good news, though, is Lail has returned to active duty, He replaced Crisp in the 7th. He grounded to 2B. WE GO TO THE NINTH WITH USC LEADING 5-3.
3:20 - Cooper sets a new career high in K's with his 9th of the game in the T8 and sets down JMU in order. He;s given up just 6 hits through 8 Inn. We go to the B8 with USC leading, 5-3. Another insurance run or two would be nice here.
3:15 - USC adds a run in the B7 ona RBI single by Merrifield but they could havehad more but Disher lined into a double play. The JMU 3B snagged the liner and beat Merrifield back to the bag to complete the twin-killing. We go to the T8 with USC leading, 5-3.
3:00 - Cooper just whipped through a quick 1-2-3 T7 on a K and two groundouts. We go to the B7 with USC leading, 4-3. There has been no scoring in this game since the T4. It's moving along fairly quickly, which is something I would not have predicted before the game.
2:55 - Crisp and Enders are quickly retired to end the B6 and two runners on base. It's still a tight 4-3 game as we go to the T7. Cooper still pitching for USC. Cisco is up in the bullpen.
2:50 - We have a pitching change for JMU in the B6 with 2 runners aboard for USC. Mack just singled to left for his 6th hit of the Regional. Crisp up.
2:40 - A well-executed 1-6-3 DP ends the T6 for JMU. It's still a tight game here in Raleigh. Cooper recorded another K to give him 7 for the game. He's' pitched well today except for that three-batter sequence in the T4. Darnell leads off for USC as we go to the B6 with USC leading, 4-3.
2:35 - USC is set down in order again in the B5. JMU's starter has set down 8 in a row. He retired Smoak on a P-6 for the final out. This was is close as we head to the T6. USC leads 4-3.
2:25 - Leadoff 2B by JMU doesn't amount to anything as we go to the B5 with USC still leading, 4-3. The runner was thrown out 6-5 on a grounder to Havens. Cooper picked up his 6th K of the game. Havens leads off for USC.
2:15 - USC down in order in the B4 on 2K's and a F-7. We go to the T5 with USC leading, 4-3. I'm sure this contest is closer than a lot of people imagined before the game.
2:10 - Well, Cooper was cruising along. But an error by Havens and than three straight 2-out hits by JMU scored three runs. It's 4-3 as we go to the B4. Both teams have 4 hits through 3.5 innings. Cooper has 5 K's.
2:05 - Ole Miss is trailing Missouri 4-3 in the B5, while Alabama trails ECU, 6-0, in the T3. Both SEC schools are trying to stay alive in the NCAA Tourney.
2:00 - Smoak's solo HR is all the scoring for USC in the B3. We head to the T4 with USC leading, 4-0. Cooper has been cruising along.
1:50 - Another bomb by Smoak!! It's 4-0 USC in the B3. Smoak set a new season high in HR with 23. It was also his 246nd career hit, giving him sole possession of 7th place on USC's all-time hits list. The 23 HR matches Joe Datin for the second highest single season total behind the 29 HR by Yaron Peters in 2002.
1:45 - Another 1-2-3 inning for Cooper in the T3. The ball didn't leave the infield. He's set down 9 of the first 10 JMU batters. We go to the B3 with USC leading, 3-0.
1:40 - USC expands its lead to 3-0 in the B2 on the third SF of the year by Wingo. It scored Crisp, who had reached on a FC grounder and advanced to third on a single by Enders, who is making his first start of the NCAA Tourney at catcher. We go to the T3 with USC leading, 3-0.
1:30 - 2 K's for Cooper in the T2 and a groundout. Good, quick inning for him. We go to the B2 with USC ahead, 2-0.
:25 - Justin Smoak hit a bomb to LF for a 2-run HR in the B1 to give USC a 2-0 lead. The inning ended on a 5-4-3 DP by Disher. The HR was the 61st of Smoak's career. He's now tied for 5th place on the all-time SEC list with Will Clatk and Andy Phillips.
1:10 - Cooper gave up a 2-out single in the T1, but that's all for JMU. 2 flyouts and a comebacker. We go to the B1 with the score 0-0. Havens, Merrifield, Smoak due.
1:00 - We're almost ready for baseball here at Doak Field in Raleigh. Blake Cooper is going through his final warm-ups. There's the throw down to second. We're almost underway. There's the first pitch.
12:30 - USC comes into today's game coming off a 5-4 loss to N.C. State Sat. night. JMU won a slugfest with Charlotte, 13-12. Here is USC's starting lineup with current stats:
Havens - 6 (.360-16 HR-54 RBI)
Merrifield - 8 (.332-3-25)
Smoak - 3 (.386-21-69)
Darnell - 5 (.307-19-81)
Disher - DH (.304-19-57)
Mack - 7 (.293-7-21)
Crisp - 9 (.306-2-23)
Enders - 2 (.255-5-25)
Wingo - 4 (.223-6-16)
Cooper - P (5-6, 4.22 ERA, 85.1 IP, 94 hits, 47 runs, 50 K, 23 BB, .282 OBA)
Kyle Enders makes his first start of the NCAA Tourney. James Madison's starting pitcher (Alex Valadja) is 0-0 with a 13.78 ERA in 16.1 IP. He's allowed 30 hits with 12 K and 12 BB. His OBA is .405. He's started 4 games.
12:05 - We're back at Doak Field in Raleigh for today's elimination game between USC and James Madison. First pitch at 1 p.m. Blake Cooper will be the starting pitcher for the Gamecocks. Right now, I'm not sure who is going to pitch for JMU. I keep hearing JMU has "run out of pitching," so we'll see. USC will be the home team for the game today. In fact, if USC wins today, they'll be the home team tonight against N.C. State, since the Wolfpack were the home team last night. There are a bunch of elimination games early Sunday afternoon. Besides USC-JMU, here they are:
Missouri-Ole Miss (Coral Gables)
Michigan-Kentucky (Ann Arbor)
Lipscomb-Georgia (Athens)
Cal-State Fullerton-Virginia (Fullerton)
USC-Davis-Stanford (Stanford)
Oklahoma State-TCU (Stillwater)
Bucknell-Florida State (Tallahassee)
UNC-Wilmington-Elon (Cary)
Alabama-East Carolina (Conway)
Nebraska-Oral Roberts (Lincoln)
So. Miss-New Orleans (Baton Rouge)
St. John's-Texas (Houston)
Houston-Ill. Chicago (College Station)
San Diego-Long Beach State (Long Beach)
Oklahoma-Vanderbilt (Tempe)
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
10:12 - Wingo is last hope. 0-2. 5-3 groundout. NCS wins the Regional. 2-1 Final. USC had just 3 hits, 2 in the final 8 innings. USC finishes 40-23. Not what they expected.
10:10 - Lail, Enders, Wingo due here in the B9. They'll try to get it to Havens at the top of the order. Lail K's for the first out. No question he's had a disappointing season at the plate. There's a P-4 by Enders. 2 outs.
10:05 - NCS down 1-2-3 in the T9. Farotto retired all 6 batters he faced. A great job by him. We go to the B9 with USC trailing, 2-1. They need to score or the 2008 season will come to an end.
10:00 - USC down 1-2-3 in the B8, two by K. WE GO TO THE NINTH WITH USC TRAILING 2-1. USC has just 3 hits.
9:55 - We have a pitching change for NCS in the B* with 2 outs and nobody on. New pitcher is Alex Sogard, a LHP. He's a transfer from Oregon State.
9:50 - Farotto does the job in the T8 by retiring NCS in order. We go to the B8 with NCS leading 2-1. Darnell, Disher, Mack due.
9:45 - Smoak F-8 for the 3rd out. USC doesn't score in the B7, so we go to the T8 with USC trailing, 2-1. Alex Farotto is the new pitcher for USC.
9:40 - We're still in the B7. USC has runners at the corners for Smoak. Not surprisingly, the NCS pitching coach is out to the mound for a chat with the pitcher Drew Taylor.
9:30 - We have a pitching change for NCS here in the B7. Enders on 2B, 1 out. Havens up.
9:20 - NCS has taken a 2-1 lead in the T7 with an infield single to SS with the bases loaded off Bangs. U-5 force at 3B for the final out. We go to the B7 with NCS leading 2-1. Enders, Wingo, Havens due.
9:15 - We have a pitching change for USC here in the T7 with 2 outs, 2 on. Parker Bangs is the new pitcher. He's 3-3 with a 4.67 ERA in 27.0 IP with 34 strikeouts and 14 BB.
9:05 - Nice play by the NCS SS to end the B6. Crisp was thrown out. We go to the T7 with the score tied at 1-1. The two teams have combined for just 5 hits. NCS has three and USC two. One oof those USC hits was a solo HR by Havens in the B1. That's accounted for USC's only run. Lail playing RF for USC.
9:00 - NCS is held scoreless in the T6 despite getting 2 baserunenrs on. But a 6-4 FC ended the inning. Bangs is back up in the bullpen. We'll see if Atwood comes out for the 7th. Right now, we're going to the B6 with the score tied at 1-1. Great game so far.
8:55 - Parker Bangs is warming up in the USC bullpen as we start the T6.
8:50 - USC down 1-2-3 in the B5. 6 of the last 7 USC hitters have been retired. We go to the T6 with the score tied at 1-1. It's over in Athens. UGA has blanked Ga. tech, 8-0. Those two rivals will play Mon. for the right to advance to the Super Regional. That's the regional that's matched up with this one, so USC fans should pay close attention to the happenings there provided USC can win this game here.
8:45 - Sam Brown is pitching for NC State as we resume action. He replaces Surkamp. Time of the delay was 1:19.
8:40 - NC State has takent he field. We're about to resume. The score is tied at 1-1 in the B5. Merrifield at the plate. It looks like UGA is about the beat GT and force a winner-take-all game on Monday in Athens.
8:35 - When play resumes, here's the situation: we're in the bottom of the fifth inning. Whit Merrifield, the first batter of the inning, is at the plate with a 2-1 count. We've had not been told of an official resumptiontime. It looks like it will happen in the next 5-10 ninutes. It's probably up to the pitchers right now.
8:30 - Both teams continue to warm up here to resume the game. The fans are filing back into the ballpark. I've been checking the results of games involving SEC teams and it appears 4 of the 9 conference teams that started the NCAA Tournament are still alive. Florida and Arkansas were eliminated Saturday. Ole Miss, Alabama and Vanderbilt have been eliminated Sunday, Vandy lost a tough 11-10 game to Oklahoma on 2 runs in the B9. The four teams left right now are USC, Kentucky (playing Arizona), Georgia (playing Ga. Tech) and LSU (playing So. Miss). The SEC's NCAA Tourney record is currently 11-13 with four games ongoing right now.
8:25 - Will Atwood is warming up in the bullpen under the watchful eye of pitching coach Mark Calvi. It looks he will try to come back following the delay. I can't see the NCS bullpen, so I don't know if the Wolfpack starter is down there.
8:20 - The tarp is being taken off the field now. We're told that the game should resume in about 20 minutes after a warm-up period. The USC players are headed to the outfield to start throwing.
8:00 - It's raining here in Raleigh and the tarp is still on the field. It looks like it will be another 30-60 minutes at least before we resume play. The biggest question is what will happen to the pitchers when play resumes. I see Tanner and the N.C. Coach meeting with the NCAA Regional Director down on the field. I see about 10-12 USC players in the dugout.
7:25 - WE HAVE A LIGHTNING/SEVER WEATHER DELAY HERE IN RALEIGH. THE TARP IS BEING PUT ON THE FIELD. THIS LOOKS LIKE IT COULD BE A LENGTHY DELAY.
7:20 - NCS has tied the score at 1-1 with a solo HR in the T5 by Synan. The two batters got on with a single and walk but Atwood worked out of trouble. We go to the B5 with the score tied at 1-1. Merrifield, Smoak, Darnell due.
7:10 - USC down in the B4 without much going on. Wingo reached on a two-out HBP but that was all. Except for Havens' HR in the B1, not much has happened offensively for either team. We have a full-fledged pitchers' duel going on right on. Atwood has set down 12 of 13.
7:05 - Another great defensive play by USC in the T4. Merrifield chased down a deep fly in the LCF gap off the bat of Matt Payne. A walk ended Atwood's streak at 10 batters but that's all NCS got. We go to the B4 with USC leading, 1-0. USC is playing very well tonight. They look sharp and focused.
6:55 - USC left a pair of runners on base after 2 HBP with 2 outs in the B3. That's 5 LOB for USC through 3 Inn. We go to the T4 with USC leading, 1-0. Atwood is perfect through 3 Inn. We'll see how long it lasts.
6:45 - Havens is doing with his glove too. He made a sensational play in the hole for the first out in the T3. That might be the top defensive play of the year for the Gamecocks. He scooped up the ball and flipped it across the diamond for the out. Unbelievable play. K ends it. 9 up, 9 down for Atwood. We go to the B3 with USC leading, 1-0.
6:35 - Enders picks up a 1-out single in the B2 but that's it for USC. Havens flied deep to CF for the final out. He almost had his third HR in three trips to the plate.
6:25 - Atwood looks impressive again in the T2. He sets down the Wolfpack in order for the second straight inning. 6 up, 6 down so far. We go to the B2 with USC leading 1-0.
6:15 - Reese Havens does it again! He leads off the B1 with a HR down the RF line. USC leads 1-0. Havens is 4-for-11 in the regional with 2 HR and 4 RBI. Smoak grounded out and he's 7-for-12. Darnell and Disher walked with 2 outs, sending up Mack. He fanned. We go to the T2 with USC leading 1-0. The Gamecocks are 24-8 when they score in the 1st inning and 30-10 when they score first.
6:05 - Very good start for Atwood. The junior LHP retired all 3 NCS batters ro come to the plate. We're scoreless as we go to the B2. Another LHP, Eric Surkamp takes the hill for the Wolfpack.
6:00 - We're about ready to go here inthe second game of the day for USC. Again, this is a must-win situation for the Gamecocks. USC is the home team.
5:45 - Here is USC's starting linup with current stats. Atwood will be the starting pitcher.
Havens - 6 (.361-17 HR-56 RBI)
Merrifield - 8 (.330-3-26)
Smoak - 3 (.390-23-72)
Darnell - 5 (.308-19-81)
Disher - DH (.299-19-57)
Mack - 7 (.294-7-21)
Crisp - 9 (.301-2-23)
Enders - 2 (.255-5-25)
Wingo - 4 (.234-6-17)
Atwood - P (5-3, 5.47 ERA, 75.2 IP, 77 hits, 50 runs, 61 K, 31 BB,.272 OBA)
Eric Surkamp (5-2, 4.39 ERA in 69.2 IP) is the starting pitcher for USC.
5:40 - We're back in the press box following a short break between games. USC will face N.C. State starting at 6 p.m. USC is wearing its all-white uniforms with the white caps and garnet brim. We're still awaiting the starting lineups. We're told Will Atwood will start for USC, but I don't see anybody warming up in the bullpen yet.
***********************************************************************************
3:45 - Wingo opened the B9 with a single for his second hit of the afternoon. Havens up. He has 2 BB and a Sac. today. 3-2. THERE IT GOES!! ANOTHER WALK-OFF HOMER FOR HAVENS!!! USC WINS 7-5!! USC WILL PLAY N.C. STATE AT 6 P.M.
3:40 - P-6 ends the T9. We're tied at 5-5. USC will try to winit here. Wingo, Havens, Merrifield up.
3:35 - Bloop single to RF. 2 outs. Two runners on against Cisco. There's a ball into the gap! One run scores. Here comes the other runner. He's safe. We have a tie ball game. Ouch. It's 5-5. USC was one strike away from wrapping up the victory, but they'll need to hang on here.
3:30 - One out in the T9. There's a single. Here comes Tanner. That's it for Cooper. Craig Thomas is coming in. JMU goes to a PH. Strike three!!! 2 outs. Here comes Tanner again. Mike Cisco is coming in from the bullpen. He'll try to record his third career save right here.
3:25 - USC down in order in the B8. The good news, though, is Lail has returned to active duty, He replaced Crisp in the 7th. He grounded to 2B. WE GO TO THE NINTH WITH USC LEADING 5-3.
3:20 - Cooper sets a new career high in K's with his 9th of the game in the T8 and sets down JMU in order. He;s given up just 6 hits through 8 Inn. We go to the B8 with USC leading, 5-3. Another insurance run or two would be nice here.
3:15 - USC adds a run in the B7 ona RBI single by Merrifield but they could havehad more but Disher lined into a double play. The JMU 3B snagged the liner and beat Merrifield back to the bag to complete the twin-killing. We go to the T8 with USC leading, 5-3.
3:00 - Cooper just whipped through a quick 1-2-3 T7 on a K and two groundouts. We go to the B7 with USC leading, 4-3. There has been no scoring in this game since the T4. It's moving along fairly quickly, which is something I would not have predicted before the game.
2:55 - Crisp and Enders are quickly retired to end the B6 and two runners on base. It's still a tight 4-3 game as we go to the T7. Cooper still pitching for USC. Cisco is up in the bullpen.
2:50 - We have a pitching change for JMU in the B6 with 2 runners aboard for USC. Mack just singled to left for his 6th hit of the Regional. Crisp up.
2:40 - A well-executed 1-6-3 DP ends the T6 for JMU. It's still a tight game here in Raleigh. Cooper recorded another K to give him 7 for the game. He's' pitched well today except for that three-batter sequence in the T4. Darnell leads off for USC as we go to the B6 with USC leading, 4-3.
2:35 - USC is set down in order again in the B5. JMU's starter has set down 8 in a row. He retired Smoak on a P-6 for the final out. This was is close as we head to the T6. USC leads 4-3.
2:25 - Leadoff 2B by JMU doesn't amount to anything as we go to the B5 with USC still leading, 4-3. The runner was thrown out 6-5 on a grounder to Havens. Cooper picked up his 6th K of the game. Havens leads off for USC.
2:15 - USC down in order in the B4 on 2K's and a F-7. We go to the T5 with USC leading, 4-3. I'm sure this contest is closer than a lot of people imagined before the game.
2:10 - Well, Cooper was cruising along. But an error by Havens and than three straight 2-out hits by JMU scored three runs. It's 4-3 as we go to the B4. Both teams have 4 hits through 3.5 innings. Cooper has 5 K's.
2:05 - Ole Miss is trailing Missouri 4-3 in the B5, while Alabama trails ECU, 6-0, in the T3. Both SEC schools are trying to stay alive in the NCAA Tourney.
2:00 - Smoak's solo HR is all the scoring for USC in the B3. We head to the T4 with USC leading, 4-0. Cooper has been cruising along.
1:50 - Another bomb by Smoak!! It's 4-0 USC in the B3. Smoak set a new season high in HR with 23. It was also his 246nd career hit, giving him sole possession of 7th place on USC's all-time hits list. The 23 HR matches Joe Datin for the second highest single season total behind the 29 HR by Yaron Peters in 2002.
1:45 - Another 1-2-3 inning for Cooper in the T3. The ball didn't leave the infield. He's set down 9 of the first 10 JMU batters. We go to the B3 with USC leading, 3-0.
1:40 - USC expands its lead to 3-0 in the B2 on the third SF of the year by Wingo. It scored Crisp, who had reached on a FC grounder and advanced to third on a single by Enders, who is making his first start of the NCAA Tourney at catcher. We go to the T3 with USC leading, 3-0.
1:30 - 2 K's for Cooper in the T2 and a groundout. Good, quick inning for him. We go to the B2 with USC ahead, 2-0.
:25 - Justin Smoak hit a bomb to LF for a 2-run HR in the B1 to give USC a 2-0 lead. The inning ended on a 5-4-3 DP by Disher. The HR was the 61st of Smoak's career. He's now tied for 5th place on the all-time SEC list with Will Clatk and Andy Phillips.
1:10 - Cooper gave up a 2-out single in the T1, but that's all for JMU. 2 flyouts and a comebacker. We go to the B1 with the score 0-0. Havens, Merrifield, Smoak due.
1:00 - We're almost ready for baseball here at Doak Field in Raleigh. Blake Cooper is going through his final warm-ups. There's the throw down to second. We're almost underway. There's the first pitch.
12:30 - USC comes into today's game coming off a 5-4 loss to N.C. State Sat. night. JMU won a slugfest with Charlotte, 13-12. Here is USC's starting lineup with current stats:
Havens - 6 (.360-16 HR-54 RBI)
Merrifield - 8 (.332-3-25)
Smoak - 3 (.386-21-69)
Darnell - 5 (.307-19-81)
Disher - DH (.304-19-57)
Mack - 7 (.293-7-21)
Crisp - 9 (.306-2-23)
Enders - 2 (.255-5-25)
Wingo - 4 (.223-6-16)
Cooper - P (5-6, 4.22 ERA, 85.1 IP, 94 hits, 47 runs, 50 K, 23 BB, .282 OBA)
Kyle Enders makes his first start of the NCAA Tourney. James Madison's starting pitcher (Alex Valadja) is 0-0 with a 13.78 ERA in 16.1 IP. He's allowed 30 hits with 12 K and 12 BB. His OBA is .405. He's started 4 games.
12:05 - We're back at Doak Field in Raleigh for today's elimination game between USC and James Madison. First pitch at 1 p.m. Blake Cooper will be the starting pitcher for the Gamecocks. Right now, I'm not sure who is going to pitch for JMU. I keep hearing JMU has "run out of pitching," so we'll see. USC will be the home team for the game today. In fact, if USC wins today, they'll be the home team tonight against N.C. State, since the Wolfpack were the home team last night. There are a bunch of elimination games early Sunday afternoon. Besides USC-JMU, here they are:
Missouri-Ole Miss (Coral Gables)
Michigan-Kentucky (Ann Arbor)
Lipscomb-Georgia (Athens)
Cal-State Fullerton-Virginia (Fullerton)
USC-Davis-Stanford (Stanford)
Oklahoma State-TCU (Stillwater)
Bucknell-Florida State (Tallahassee)
UNC-Wilmington-Elon (Cary)
Alabama-East Carolina (Conway)
Nebraska-Oral Roberts (Lincoln)
So. Miss-New Orleans (Baton Rouge)
St. John's-Texas (Houston)
Houston-Ill. Chicago (College Station)
San Diego-Long Beach State (Long Beach)
Oklahoma-Vanderbilt (Tempe)
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
Previous Blog Entries
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 @.