It wasn't pretty, but all that matters is South Carolina is playing in the 7 p.m. game tomorrow and not the 2 p.m. one. The Gamecocks survived an upset bid by Bucknell on Friday night with a 9-5 win to advance to play The Citadel in the winner's bracket of the Columbia Regional.
"It was a survive and advance situation," said South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner. "Our guys just kept plugging and kept fighting."
Consider that you have to go all the way back to 1983 for the last time South Carolina lost the opening game of an NCAA Regional (an 8-4 loss to James Madison in Chapel Hill). That's eighteen consecutive wins in the opener.
Bucknell certainly tested that streak as the Bison jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the 6th inning. The Gamecock offense, still mired in its postseason slump, had left eight runners stranded and had left many of the faithful doubting things would turn around.
"College baseball, like a lot of other amateur sports, is about emotion and it gets you after a while," said Tanner. "I was thinking, 'we've been here, we're going to come out, but we've got to come out in a hurry.''
Sophomore outfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. said players continued to stay positive that the team was due to break out.
"We were battling and something had to give and we just tried to stay aggressive," he said. "We knew we needed just one thing to break us open."
That one thing came in the bottom of the sixth inning when shortshop Bobby Haney singled with two outs. Freshman outfielder Evan Marzilli, making a surprise start in the leadoff spot, homered to right field to cut Bucknell's lead to 5-3.
"That's a lot different when you've got the tying run in the on-deck circle. That changes the entire complexion of the game," said Tanner. "You're within striking distance at that point."
South Carolina scratched together another run in the 7th inning, thanks to bunt singles by Adam Matthews and Scott Wingo.
"[The bunt singles] changed the momentum in the seventh inning. It really got the crowd back into it," said Bucknell head coach Gene DePew.
Whit Merrifield opened the eighth inning with a walk and Bradley homered South Carolina into the lead with a high fly that just barely left the park.
"I wasn't sure his ball was going to get out. One of the grounds crew guys told me it didn't even make the first row - it just scraped the wall," said Tanner.
"At first, I didn't think it was gone, but once it reached its peak, I knew it was gone," said Bradley.
Morales added some extra insurance later in the inning with a three-run blast to left field to help secure the win.
Another notable performance that was key to South Carolina's comeback was Michael Roth's 3.1 perfect innings of work at the end of the game. Roth struck out four to keep the Gamecocks in position.
"We got a great relief appearance from Roth," said Tanner. "He held them and gave us a chance."
After surviving Friday's challenge, the Gamecocks advance to play one of the hottest teams in the country - The Citadel. Currently on a 13-game winning streak after defeating Virginia Tech 7-2 in Game 1 of the Columbia Regional, the Bulldogs will throw Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year and probable first-round MLB draft pick Asher Wojciechowski.
"He's right up there with the best guys in the SEC and he's been phenomenal for The Citadel," said Tanner. "We'll have to have our A game tomorrow to be in good shape."
Senior Blake Cooper will square off against Wojciechowski in a situation that's all too familiar for the right-hander.
"[Cooper will] have to be at his best," said Tanner. "He's matched up against the best in our league. He's been the underdog and he's back out there tomorrow where he's the underdog again. It's familiar territory for Blake Cooper."
"It was a survive and advance situation," said South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner. "Our guys just kept plugging and kept fighting."
Consider that you have to go all the way back to 1983 for the last time South Carolina lost the opening game of an NCAA Regional (an 8-4 loss to James Madison in Chapel Hill). That's eighteen consecutive wins in the opener.
Bucknell certainly tested that streak as the Bison jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the 6th inning. The Gamecock offense, still mired in its postseason slump, had left eight runners stranded and had left many of the faithful doubting things would turn around.
"College baseball, like a lot of other amateur sports, is about emotion and it gets you after a while," said Tanner. "I was thinking, 'we've been here, we're going to come out, but we've got to come out in a hurry.''
Sophomore outfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. said players continued to stay positive that the team was due to break out.
"We were battling and something had to give and we just tried to stay aggressive," he said. "We knew we needed just one thing to break us open."
That one thing came in the bottom of the sixth inning when shortshop Bobby Haney singled with two outs. Freshman outfielder Evan Marzilli, making a surprise start in the leadoff spot, homered to right field to cut Bucknell's lead to 5-3.
"That's a lot different when you've got the tying run in the on-deck circle. That changes the entire complexion of the game," said Tanner. "You're within striking distance at that point."
South Carolina scratched together another run in the 7th inning, thanks to bunt singles by Adam Matthews and Scott Wingo.
"[The bunt singles] changed the momentum in the seventh inning. It really got the crowd back into it," said Bucknell head coach Gene DePew.
Whit Merrifield opened the eighth inning with a walk and Bradley homered South Carolina into the lead with a high fly that just barely left the park.
"I wasn't sure his ball was going to get out. One of the grounds crew guys told me it didn't even make the first row - it just scraped the wall," said Tanner.
"At first, I didn't think it was gone, but once it reached its peak, I knew it was gone," said Bradley.
Morales added some extra insurance later in the inning with a three-run blast to left field to help secure the win.
Another notable performance that was key to South Carolina's comeback was Michael Roth's 3.1 perfect innings of work at the end of the game. Roth struck out four to keep the Gamecocks in position.
"We got a great relief appearance from Roth," said Tanner. "He held them and gave us a chance."
After surviving Friday's challenge, the Gamecocks advance to play one of the hottest teams in the country - The Citadel. Currently on a 13-game winning streak after defeating Virginia Tech 7-2 in Game 1 of the Columbia Regional, the Bulldogs will throw Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year and probable first-round MLB draft pick Asher Wojciechowski.
"He's right up there with the best guys in the SEC and he's been phenomenal for The Citadel," said Tanner. "We'll have to have our A game tomorrow to be in good shape."
Senior Blake Cooper will square off against Wojciechowski in a situation that's all too familiar for the right-hander.
"[Cooper will] have to be at his best," said Tanner. "He's matched up against the best in our league. He's been the underdog and he's back out there tomorrow where he's the underdog again. It's familiar territory for Blake Cooper."
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