Six hours of delays. Slashing rain. Lightning. Opening game jitters.
You might say those were all factors that affected Sunday's game against Oklahoma in the College World Series, but it all comes down to just one thing:
Missed opportunities.
Trailing 4-2 in the top of the ninth inning, the Gamecocks put their first two runners aboard thanks to singles by catcher Kyle Enders and pinch-hitter Robert Beary. After a strikeout by Adam Matthews, Evan Marzilli worked the count for a walk to put Carolina in a big position - the heart of the order coming to the plate and just one out.
But the big hit never came for the Gamecocks. Jackie Bradley, Jr. worked a walk to cut the Sooners' lead to 4-3, but a foul out by Whit Merrifield and a flyout from Adrian Morales killed off the rally and secured the win for Oklahoma.
"We did a great job in the last inning. We took some pitches, had some good swings, we just failed to come up with the big single or double to get us the RBI," said South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner. "Their guy [Ryan] Duke has had a nice year for them and he was very calm and able to get out of it."
Tanner credited Oklahoma's pitcher for working out of the situation.
"It gets a little frustrating, but that's part of the game," he said. "You have to give some credit to Oklahoma's guys on the mound. They made a couple pitches when they needed to."
An inning earlier, patient approaches from Morales and Christian Walker loaded the bases for the Gamecocks with two outs. But Brady Thomas hit a hard liner directly at Sooner right fielder Cody Reine to end the inning.
"[Thomas] squares the ball about as good as you can, but it was right at the right fielder," said Tanner. "We did a nice job battling, but we did not get the big hits to get us where we needed to be."
The Gamecocks finished the night hitless with runners in scoring position, striking out four times.
"We had some good at-bats. We just never came up with the big hit," Tanner said. "But we battled and Oklahoma did a nice job winning the ball game."
Weather wreaks havoc
Thanks to several hours of delay, South Carolina's game against the Sooners ended nearly nine hours after it was scheduled to start. After a four hour and fifteen minute delay backed up the first pitch, another weather stoppage in the sixth inning stopped play for two more hours.
"It was a challenge. I'm sure it was a challenge for Oklahoma as well," said Tanner. "It's just part of baseball. You have rain delays. And that was a tough one."
As a a result of the weather delays, the Arizona State - Clemson game was postponed until Monday at 11 a.m. ET. The Gamecocks will face the loser of that game on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
You might say those were all factors that affected Sunday's game against Oklahoma in the College World Series, but it all comes down to just one thing:
Missed opportunities.
Trailing 4-2 in the top of the ninth inning, the Gamecocks put their first two runners aboard thanks to singles by catcher Kyle Enders and pinch-hitter Robert Beary. After a strikeout by Adam Matthews, Evan Marzilli worked the count for a walk to put Carolina in a big position - the heart of the order coming to the plate and just one out.
But the big hit never came for the Gamecocks. Jackie Bradley, Jr. worked a walk to cut the Sooners' lead to 4-3, but a foul out by Whit Merrifield and a flyout from Adrian Morales killed off the rally and secured the win for Oklahoma.
"We did a great job in the last inning. We took some pitches, had some good swings, we just failed to come up with the big single or double to get us the RBI," said South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner. "Their guy [Ryan] Duke has had a nice year for them and he was very calm and able to get out of it."
Tanner credited Oklahoma's pitcher for working out of the situation.
"It gets a little frustrating, but that's part of the game," he said. "You have to give some credit to Oklahoma's guys on the mound. They made a couple pitches when they needed to."
An inning earlier, patient approaches from Morales and Christian Walker loaded the bases for the Gamecocks with two outs. But Brady Thomas hit a hard liner directly at Sooner right fielder Cody Reine to end the inning.
"[Thomas] squares the ball about as good as you can, but it was right at the right fielder," said Tanner. "We did a nice job battling, but we did not get the big hits to get us where we needed to be."
The Gamecocks finished the night hitless with runners in scoring position, striking out four times.
"We had some good at-bats. We just never came up with the big hit," Tanner said. "But we battled and Oklahoma did a nice job winning the ball game."
Weather wreaks havoc
Thanks to several hours of delay, South Carolina's game against the Sooners ended nearly nine hours after it was scheduled to start. After a four hour and fifteen minute delay backed up the first pitch, another weather stoppage in the sixth inning stopped play for two more hours.
"It was a challenge. I'm sure it was a challenge for Oklahoma as well," said Tanner. "It's just part of baseball. You have rain delays. And that was a tough one."
As a a result of the weather delays, the Arizona State - Clemson game was postponed until Monday at 11 a.m. ET. The Gamecocks will face the loser of that game on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
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