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Magic Continues For Defending Champs…

CWS Finals Game 1: South Carolina 2-7-1 def. Florida 1-8-3
Final Stats | FL Recap | SC Recap

Florida starting pitcher Hudson Randall

Fifteen was the lucky number for South Carolina on Monday night at the 2011 College World Series.

Thirteen was not Hudson Randall‘s lucky number Monday night. The Florida starting pitcher had walked just 12 batters in 123 1/3 innings heading into the eighth inning of the College World Series Finals vs. South Carolina, but with he issued his 13th walk of the year to Peter Mooney to start the inning and it cost him in South Carolina’s 2-1 victory in 11 innings.

The Gamecocks tied Texas by winning their 15th straight NCAA Tournament game. The Longhorns won 15 in a row in 1983 and ’84.  South Carolina also tied USC (1972-’74) and LSU (1996-’98) with their 10th straight win at the CWS.

Randall, who was nursing a 1-0 lead after seven innings, had been dominant all night, having retired 18 of the previous 19 Florida batters (including 10 straight) and allowed just a pair of hits heading into the inning. In two starts vs. South Carolina this season, Randall totaled 16 2/3 IP, 10 strikeouts and allowed just eight hits with one walk.

Robert Beary followed Mooney’s walk with a sacrifice bunt to move him into scoring position. The shortstop then moved to third base on a flyout to centerfield by Evan Marzilli. Mooney scored when Scott Wingo sent a 2-2 pitch from Randall up the middle and into centerfield.

“Well, (Hudson) Randall, he had my number all night,” Wingo said after the game. “And that last at-bat I think I swung through two sliders, and I just said to myself: Stay late if I get beat  inside I get beat inside and he threw another curveball and I was able to hit it up the middle.”

Wingo’s hit snapped a 1-for-12 slump against the Gators this season. It was also his first hit since his game-winner against Texas A&M in South Carolin’s CWS opener nine days ago.

In a season and a series where runs have been at a premium, it was only fitting that both teams manufactured their runs. Florida scored the first run of the game in the third inning when Cody Dent‘s sacrifice fly scored Tyler Thompson, who had advanced to third base after a wild pitch by South Carolina starter Forrest Koumas.

The Gators looked like they had the game in hand in the bottom of the 9th inning when Mike Zunino worked a leadoff walk against John Taylor, who was facing his first batter in his 49th appearance of the year out of the Gamecock bullpen.

Brian Johnson failed to bunt Zunino to second, but got him all the way to third base when he ripped a 2-2 pitch into right field for a single. The action really started after an intentional walk to Josh Adams to load the bases.

With the infield in, Wingo dove to his right to snare a chopper off the bat of Tyler Thompson. Wingo jumped to his feet and fired to the first base side of the plate, but Beary was able to grab it and step on the plate for the force out and the first out of the inning.

With the infield still in, Daniel Pigott hit a hard hop right to Wingo, who this time fired a strike to Beary who then relayed to Christian Walker at first base to turn the 4-2-3 double play and send the game to extra innings.

“We needed to elevate the ball there, and to  their credit Wingo makes a great play,” said Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan. “And then Beary makes a great snag at the plate on the short hop and obviously they pick it to ground out the double play that was probably the most pivotal part of the game we probably needed to do something that inning unfortunately we didn’t you have to credit South Carolina they made the pitches and made the plays.”

Christian Walker played Monday despite a broken bone in his left hand.

Florida had a chance to win it again in the bottom of the 10th inning with two outs and Dent at second base. Zunino broke a 2-for-15 slump at the CWS when he lined a hit to left field. Dent was racing toward home on contact, but South Carolina left fielder Jake Williams gunned him out at the plate.

South Carolina scored the winning run in the top of the 11^th when Christian Walker made a mad dash around the bases. Walker singled to lead-off the inning, stole second, took third base on a throw by Zunino that went into center field, and then scored when Bryson Smith’s errant throw skipped into the stands.

Walker was playing in the game despite suffering a broken bone in his left hand during Friday’s win over Virginia. He said he wasn’t sure himself if he would be able to take the field for the game.

“You know I knew it was going to take a lot of pain specifically for me not to play.  For the last half of yesterday I think I didn’t think I was going to be able to play. But you know, they came out and really — I mean, I’m speechless about it. And they did a great job. And I mean, I can’t thank them enough.”

Florida had a chance to at least tie it when Brian Johnson led-off the bottom of the 11th with a single, but after pinch-runner Paul Wilson replace him on the bases, South Carolina reliever Matt Price recorded the final three outs for his 19th save of his sophomore season. He is tied for the national lead with Corey Knebel of Texas.

Price was coming off a 5 2/3 inning, 95 pitch relief appearance on Friday in South Carolina’s 3-2 win in 13 innings vs. Virginia.

South Carolina can win a second straight national championship with a win over Florida Tuesday night. The Gators hope to force a third game of the CWS Finals if they can snap the Gamecocks’ 15-game NCAA streak on Tuesday.

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Notes

• Florida was 46-0 this season when leading after seven innings heading into the game. South Carolina is now just 7-13 when trailing or tied after seven innings.

• South Carolina played its second straight CWS extra innings game. Four of their last night games in Omaha have gone to extras…they are 4-0 in those games.

• Florida was just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position in the game. The lone hit saw Dent thrown out at the plate with the potential winning run.

• The Gamecocks have allowed just three earned runs in their four CWS games this year.

• South Carolina has won seven of its 15 straight NCAA Tournament games by one run, including three of its four wins this week.

• Ray Tanner’s “battling” squad also escaped two bases loaded situations in Friday’s 3-2 win over Virginia.

• The Gamecocks will be the home team in Tuesday’s game.

• Monday’s attendance was25,851,  making the total 2011 CWS attendance 294,963, for an average of 22,689.

CLICK HERE to see the CB360 Shutterfly photo page with shots of every team and most games from this year’s College World Series (All photos by Kirk Markus).

Florida's Tyler Thompson scored the first run of the game in the third inning.

Gamecocks catcher Robert Beary tags out Cody Dent at the plate.

Christian Walker slides safely into third base after Mike Zunino's overthrow at second allowed him to advance...

 

Walker scores the eventual game-winning run after another overthrow at third base.

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Play Begins With Suspended Game, Ends With Gamecock Win …

Click image to enlarge!

If you’re going to the College World Series, your one stop for the most officially licensed 2011 College World Series apparel is the all new Dugout, located right across the street from the Road To Omaha statue outside TD Ameritrade Stadium. If you can’t make it to Omaha, simply follow this link to Dugouthats.com. You’ll save 20% on your order when you enter the coupon code CB360!

Game 6: Florida 3-5-1 def. Vanderbilt 1-4-2
Final Stats | FL Recap | Vandy Recap

After a 14-hour delay that started shortly after 8:00 p.m. local time, Florida and Vanderbilt resumed their game minutes after 10:00 a.m. Tuesday morning at TD Ameritrade Park.

Preston Tuckers 4th-inning home run was all the offense Florida needed in the Monday/Tuesday game.

The game picked up with two outs and nobody on, with Vanderbilt batting in the bottom of the sixth and Florida leading 3-1. Steven Rodriguez – who had entered the game in relief of Karsten Whitsen in the fifth inning Monday night – promptely struck out Jason Esposito to end the inning. Rodriguez (4-2) ultimately earned the win, after striking out six of the 10 batters he faced for a new career-high K total.

Reliever Will Clinard opened the seventh inning on the hill for the Commodores in relief of starter Grayson Garvin, who fanned nine batters in six innings but allowed three earned runs on Preston Tucker‘s 4th-inning home run that cleared the rightfield bullpen. Garvin (13-2) suffered the loss. Tucker’s 15th long ball of the season is onlythe second home run through six games of the 2011 CWS (Vanderbilt’s Connor Harrell homered Saturday for the other).

The teams combined to strike out 23 times (12 by Commodore batters and 11 for the Gators).

SEC player of the year Mike Zunino of Florida went 1-for-3 with a run scored, against the SEC pitcher of the year Garvin. Zunino was on base when Tucker homered.

A total of 19 batters came to the plate Tuesday morning to face Clinard, fellow Vanderbilt reliever Corey Williams and Florida’s Rodriguez. Only two of those 19 reached base, on a pair of walks (one for each team).

Attendance for this game was 20,182, for a six-game total of 132,748 (avg, of 22,125). Fans were allowed into the final three innings of the game Tuesday morning without a ticket.

CLICK HERE to read more about this game and the North Carolina-Texas game in our Day-3 Notebook.

– Quotable –

“It was actually a slider that I hung. Good Hitters, that’s what they do. He should have hit that where he hit it. It was kid of a tail of one pitch. I actually thought I pitched better yesterday than I pitched in about a month, but it was one swing.” – Vanderbilt starter Grayson Garvin, talking about the pitch Florida’s Preston Tucker hit for the Gators’ only offense in the game.

“He doesn’t pitch like a freshman. He’s a big, strong kid. He throws a big, heavy ball like he’s throwing bowling balls to the plate and he keeps coming. … You know, he’s a first-rounder [2010 MLB draft]. You’re not supposed to keep kids like that, and they did. That’s why Florida’s pretty good.” – Commodore head coach Tim Corbin on Florida freshman pitcher Karsten Whitson, who turned down first-round draft pick money to attend Florida.

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Game 7: Cal 7-9-1 elim. Texas A&M 3-10-2
Final Stats | Cal Recap | A&M Recap

The team that itself was eliminated for a time last fall staved off elimination at the 2011 College World Series, when Cal beat Texas A&M 7-3 Tuesday afternoon in Omaha.

The Golden Bear program was (infamously) set to be cut due to school budgetary restraints last September, but thanks to fundraising efforts it was spared this past spring. Tough times have brought the team together in its miraculous run to the CWS.

Meanwhile, Texas A&M went 0-2 and was eliminated in its first trip to Omaha since 1999.

Texas A&M scored first on Adam Smith‘s solo home run in the 4th inning over the left field, his seventh homer of the year. Aggies starter Michael Wacha didn’t allow a hit until the top of the 5th, when Darrel Matthews singled following an error that allowed Ben Bunting to reach safely to start the inning. An RBI single by Derek Campbell, a sac bunt by leadoff man Austin Booker and a sac fly by Tony Renda gave Cal a 3-1 lead and their first lead of any kind in two games in Omaha.

Wacha (9-4) surrendered seven runs, four earned, on nine hits in 6.2 innings. He walked two and struck out five in the loss.

The Golden Bears scored three more times in the 6th and added another run in the 7th to take a 7-1 lead before A&M pushed across two runs in the bottom of the frame to make it 7-3. Through seven games, Cal and Florida are the only teams to score runs in three consecutive innings.

Golden Bears starter Kyle Porter (6-0) allowed three earned runs in six innings. He struck out four and walked two.

Six different Cal players had at least one RBI in the game, with second baseman Derek Campbell leading the way with two.

Cal has won five straight NCAA Tournament elimination games this year, including four straight at the Rice Regional.

The win is Cal’s first at the College World Series since 1980. The team is playing in its first CWS since 1992.

The Golden Bears next will face the loser of the Virginia-South Carolina game, on Thursday night.

Cal head coach David Esquer was named the NCBWA’s National Coach of the Year prior to the game today.

– Quotable –

“I’m not disappointed in anybody. I’m disappointed for our guys that they didn’t play hard. There’s not a guy in our dugout that doesn’t wish we hadn’t played better collectively. Dave Esquer‘s done an amzing job this year. He’s talking about his team and the things he’s gone through. He definitely deserves coach-of-the-year nomination for being the rock in the storm.” – Texas A&M head coach Rob Childress

David Esquer

“I’m happy our guys kind of grinded it out, because that’s kind of how we do it. We don’t do it easy. … I thought we were a little too excited trying to make something happen that really wasn’t there and didn’t let the game come to us. … The whole day’s been amazing. You can’t be a good coach without good players – if our players can come out here and perform like they did today under elimination circumstances. Thankfully for us, one of our rallying clauses is to try to be as loose as possible and that serves us well in big moments.” – Cal head coach Dave Esquer

Game 8: South Carolina 7-13-0 def. Virginia 1-5-3
Final Stats | SC Recap | VA Recap

In a matchup of this year’s No. 1 national seed and the defending national champion, it was the champ that reigned supreme as South Carolina rolled past Virginia 7-1 Tuesday night in Omaha.

Star outfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. was in the lineup for only the second time in the past two months. He batted from the cleanup spot, after batting 9th in South Carolina’s win over Texas A&M on Sunday, and got the scoring started with a 1st-inning RBI double. It was the first of three Gamecocks runs in the frame. Bradley finished the game with two hits and an RBI.

Jackie Bradley, Jr.

South Carolina added another run in the 3rd, two more in the 4th  and a run in the 7th on an RBI single by Christian Walker. The first baseman batted 2-for-5 and led his team with two RBIs.

South Carolina’s 3-4-5-6 batters combined to hit above .500 (10-for-19) with four runs scored and five RBIs. The team reached base in every inning but the 6th. Scott Wingo was the only Gamecocks starter without a hit or walk.

Virginia scored its only run when John Hicks hit a solo homer to left field in the bottom of the 4th. It’s the eighth homer of the year for the catcher but only the fourth home run hit through eight games in this CWS.

South Carolina starter Colby Holmes (7-3) struck out seven in 4.1 innings to match his career high. Sidearm reliever John Taylor (7-1) set a career high with his 4.1-inning outing. His previous high was a 4.0-inning effort against Mississippi State on April 24. Holmes (19) and Taylor (13) combined to face only 32 batters – six over the minimum.

Virginia starter Will Roberts (11-2) was touched for all six runs in only 3.1 innings. A pair of Cavaliers errors led to three unearned runs.

South Carolina played stellar defense all night. The Gamecocks have committed only one error in their two CWS games.

Florida State (12) and Georgia Tech (10; 9) are the only teams to score more than seven runs against Virginia this season.

Virginia has a rematch with California in Thursday night’s elimination game. South Carolina faces the winner of that game on Friday.

Tonight’s game marked the first time the two programs have met in the CWS.

South Carolina’s win makes the SEC 5-1 during the 2011 CWS. Florida is 2-0 as well, while Vanderbilt (1-1) suffered its first loss earlier today.

The start of the game was delayed 68 minutes by rain.

The loss is jonly the 11th of the year for Virginia (55-11), which owns an .833 winning percentage. South Carolina (52-14) has won 13 straight NCAA Tournament games (sharing a record with three other programs), dating back to the 2010 College World Series championship run in Omaha.

Attendance for the game was 22,027, for an eight-game total of 172,916 and an average of 21,615 fans per game. Both the average and total attendance are “slightly ahead” of the same point last year, according to the NCAA.