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Clemson’s season ends with loss to Arizona State

June 8, 2009 By

The Clemson baseball team watched its season come to an end Sunday night with an 8-2 loss to Arizona State in Tempe.  The win sends the Sun Devils to their third College World Series in the past five seasons.  The loss drops the Tigers to 0-5 all-time in Super Regionals on the road.

The Tigers had a 1-0 lead going into the 5th inning but it would be a shortlived.  The Sun Devils put a five spot on the board in the top of the inning and never trailed again.  Clemson only mustered five hits on State starter Josh Spence.  Chris Dwyer took the the loss on the mound for the Tigers.

Clemson vs ASU postgame (8:27)

(Jack Leggett, Vaughn, Schaus, Paulson)

Clemson finishes the year with a 44-22 record.  The Tigers haven’t been to Omaha since 2006.

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USC’s season ends with loss to ECU

June 1, 2009 By

USC missed a chance to return to the Super Regionals Monday, dropping a heartbreaker to host East Carolina, 10-9 at Clark-LeClair Stadium in Greenville, NC.  USC jumped out to an early 6-0 lead on the Pirates but they couldn’t hold onto the lead late.

The Gamecocks go the scoring stated in the second inning with a Whit Merrifield two out RBI single.  That scored Bobby Haney to give Carolina a 1-0 lead.

Carolina added five more in the third.  That included at two run homer by light hitting Scott Wingo.  The Pirates pulled starter Patrick Somers that inning. They turned to Chris Heston next but had to go to the bullpen again before the inning was over.  Bailey Daniels closed out the inning on the mound but the Gamecocks were ahead 6-0.

AUDIO: USC post East Carolina (9:34) 

(Ray Tanner, Whit Merrifield and DeAngelo Mack at the podium)

The Pirates got things going in the 5th inning with a two run homer by second baseman Ryan Wood.  One batter later Gamecock starter Jay Brown was lifted for in favor of Parker Bangs.  Bangs managed to get the Carolina out of the inning without any further damage but the momentum had clearly started to change.

ECU picked up where it left off in the 5th inning, scoring two more in the sixth and another pair of runs in the 7th to cut the Gamecock lead to one at 7-6.  Parker Bangs didn’t make it out of the 7th inning.  After giving up a leadoff single he was replaced by Alex Farroto.

The Gamecocks gave themselves some breathing room in the top of the 8th inning.  Whit Merrifield led off with a single and Jackie Bradley Jr. followed that with a two-run blast over the right field wall.

But that wouldn’t be enough.  The Gamecocks missed a chance to pad the lead in the top of the 9th leaving the bases loaded and ECU made them pay in the bottom of the inning.  After a leadoff walk, Curtis Johnson replaced Alex Farroto on the mound.  He walked the next hitter and then gave up a three run homer Devin Harris to tie the game at 9-9.

Justin Dalles reached on an error to lead off the top of the tenth inning for the Gamecocks.  He was sacrificed over to second by Brady Thomas but Andrew Crisp popped out to the shortstop and Bobby Haney grounded out to second to end the inning.

In the bottom of the tenth inning the Pirates got a one out double and put a runner on first after an intentional walk by the Gamecocks.  Johnson got one more out before Sam Dyson was brought in the face Harris.  Harris hit a 0-1 pitch into center field to drive home the winning run for the Pirates.

Harris drove in four runs in his final two at-bats to lead the Pirates to the comeback win.

Curtis Johnson took the loss for USC (2-1). Mike Wright earned the win for the Pirates.

USC finishes the season at 40-23. It is the second straight year they failed to advance to a Super Regional.

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Do or die time for USC baseball

June 1, 2009 By
Jay Brown

Jay Brown

USC’s season hangs in the balance today in Greenville, NC.  The Gamecocks face East Carolina at 6:00 at Clark-LeClair field with the winner moving on to the Super Regional round and the loser folding up the uniforms and packing up the balls and bats until next year.

AUDIO: Ray Tanner talks about championship (:45)

East Carolina is the host school and the number one seed in this tournament but they have taken a long difficult road to get to the title game.  Not all of the issues were their fault.  Bad weather on Friday postponed their game with Binghampton until Saturday morning.  The Pirates won that game but lost to USC Saturday night.

On Sunday ECU played Binghampton against at 2:00, winning 16-9 and followed that up with an 8-6 victory against the Gamecocks in the nightcap.

Today will be the Pirates fifth game in three days.  It will only be USC’s fourth in four days.

Remarkably, despite the fact the Pirates have played so much they have managed to keep their pitching staff relatively intact.  Brad Mincey pitched a complete game in the early game Sunday and Kevin Brandt pitched into the 9th inning in the Pirates win over USC that night.

ECU coach Billy Godwin hasn’t named a starter but Mike Anderson (1-1, 5.86), Patrick Somers (2-2, 3.57) or Shawn Armstrong (1-0, 4.26) are guys that will probably get the first look.  The expression “Johnny Wholestaff” has been tossed around quite a bit by those close to the Pirate program. 

USC will start senior right hander Jay Brown.  He’s spent this season as a midweek starter am dos 3-0 with a 3.30 ERA.  Tonight will be his eight start of the season.  For Gamecock fans wondering if Sam Dyson might be able to pitch some tonight on three days rest, Ray Tanner gave a firm “no” to that question last night.

The Gamecocks are in good shape on the mound though.  They still have Parker Bangs available (3-2 5.29) out of the bullpen and closer Alex Farotto (4-2, 4.70, 7 saves) hasn’t pitched this regional. Freshman lefty Adam Westmoreland (4-2, 4.24) could also pitch but he’s been dealing with a sore arm so Tanner may prefer to use him only in an emergency (i.e. Brown gets knocked out of the game in the first three innings).

It should be an exciting one game playoff to see which team will advance to play North Carolina this weekend in the Super Regional round at Chapel Hill.

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USC falls to East Carolina, 8-6

May 31, 2009 By

There will be another game here in Greenville, NC to determine who moves on to play North Carolina in the Super Regional next weekend.  East Carolina used the power of the long ball and was able to hang on late to get by USC 8-6 Sunday night at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

ECU got to Gamecock starter Nolan Belcher early.  A three-run shot in the first inning by DH Kyle Roller got the scoring started.  A solo home run by Dustin Harrington in the fourth and a grand slam in the 7th by first baseman Brandon Henderson gave the Pirates an 8-0 lead and enough of a working margin to carry them the rest of the way.

The Gamecocks made it interesting in the ninth.  With one out and trailing 8-2, Justin Dalles hit a two run homer to cut the lead to 8-4.  Carolina managed to load the bases and Brady Thomas, inserted to pinch hit,  doubled in two more to cut the score to 8-6. That left runners on second and third with just one out.

But with Whit Merrifield popped out to first and Jeffery Jones flew out to center to end the ball game.

AUDIO: USC vs East Carolina post game (7:12)

(Gamecock coach Ray Tanner, outfielder Whit Merrifield, third baseman Andrew Crisp and pitcher Nolan Belcher at the podium)

The two teams will meet again Monday at 6:00 in a winner take all game.  Early indications are the Gamecocks plan to start right hander Jay Brown against the Pirates.

We’ll be here again on Monday and have complete coverage on SportsTalk and more  post game audio here on the site.

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USC knocks off ECU in Regional

May 30, 2009 By

After Saturday night’s 12-2 win over host East Carolina, USC is in the driver’s seat in the Greenville, NC Regional.  The Gamecocks will play the winner of ECU and Binghampton Sunday at 6:00 with a chance to clinch the regional.

Blake Cooper went the distance on the mound and Justin Dalles and Adam Matthews provided the offensive fireworks to lead the Gamecocks to within one win of a Super Regional.

Cooper didn’t allow a run until the 8th inning when East Carolina hit a two run homer.  He scattered 14 hits in his nine innings of work and managed to get out of several jams.  The Pirates left 12 runners on base.  Cooper struck out six and walked two.  It was his third complete game of the season.

Dalles had a monster night at the plate.  He went four for five with two home runs and seven RBI’s.  One of those home runs was a grand slam in the seventh inning the busted the game wide open.  The Gamecocks scored six runs that inning to take a 12-0 lead.

Matthews had his best day as a Gamecock.  Getting the start in the DH spot he went four for five with two home runs.  He  also scored three times.

The Gamecocks improve to 40-21 this season.  It is the tenth straight year the team has won 40 or more games.

East Carolina and Binghampton will play at 2:00 Sunday.  The winner will have to beat USC twice to advance.   Ray Tanner plans to start freshman lefty Nolan Belcher tomorrow.

Box Score

AUDIO: USC post East Carolina presser (9:30)

(USC baseball coach Ray Tanner along with starting pitcher Blake Cooper, catcher Justin Dalles and D.H. Adam Matthews)

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