Déjà vu like 2002 for Gamecocks

OMAHA, Neb. -- As South Carolina first baseman Christian Walker smothered Jeff Schaus' ground ball with two outs in the ninth inning, he did more than extinguish Clemson's hopes of reaching the College World Series championship series.

His step to the bag was the first one toward USC's pursuit of a national title with a 4-3 victory over its rival Saturday night at Rosenblatt Stadium.

The Gamecocks (52-16), who defeated the Tigers on back-to-back nights to advance, now get the opportunity to play for an NCAA championship for the fourth time in the program's history. They reached the championship game in 1975, 1977 and 2002 when the event was a one-game affair instead of a best-of-three series. They lost all three times, twice to Texas and once to Arizona State.

A Western school stands in their way again in UCLA, which defeated TCU 10-3 in an elimination game earlier in the day to win the other half of the CWS bracket. The Gamecocks will play the Bruins (51-15), the No. 6 national seed, Monday and Tuesday nights, and if necessary, Wednesday night.

UCLA will be the home team in Games 1 and 3, while the Gamecocks will serve as the home team in Game 2. The games will start at 7:30 p.m.

It was fitting that Walker, who had a solo homer in the fourth and the go-ahead single in the seventh, made the final play.

"This is awesome. There's nothing else like it," Walker said. "To get to this point and not play to our capabilities would be a disappointment. It feels good to be able to get this far. I knew we could do it."

The Gamecocks did what might have been unthinkable a week ago, when they lost their opener to Oklahoma. But they bounced back to roll through the losers' bracket with four consecutive wins over Arizona State, Oklahoma and Clemson twice. USC coach Ray Tanner talked of the miracle two-out rally Thursday against the Sooners to win 3-2 in 12 innings.

"Just to think a few nights ago, we were one pitch away (from being eliminated)," Tanner said. "You've just got to have belief something can happen. That's what it comes down to."

Closer Matt Price (4-1), who pitched 2 1/3 innings, picked up the win in relief of starter Sam Dyson, who gave a remarkable effort on three day's rest. Price said the team never doubted itself even after the Tigers (45-25) scored a run to tie the game at 2-2 in the seventh, especially since it had battled back all week.

"We have confidence in our team," Price said. "We played with our backs against the wall the whole time, but we just went out there and did our job. It (the championship series) is going to be amazing. I'm speechless right now."

Tanner looked back at the bracket and didn't see much difference between the four teams. But he liked how his team never gave up.

"That's the thing. I'm not sure we're better than anybody else, but we've been able to score a few more runs at the right time," Tanner said.

South Carolina scored a pair of runs in the seventh to take the 4-2 lead that would stand up. After a hit batsman, stolen base and throwing error put Evan Marzilli on third with two outs, the Tigers elected to intentionally walk Jackie Bradley. Walker and Adrian Morales followed with consecutive RBI singles off reliever Alex Frederick.

"That was huge for us," Tanner said.

Walker, the big freshman from Pennsylvania, said if he hadn't grabbed the spotlight that someone else would have in that big situation.

"There's a lot of pressure, especially in a game like this to go to the championship," Walker said. "I'm just trying once again to help my team, and knowing if you don't get it done, somebody behind you is going to do it."

Left-hander Casey Harman (8-4) pitched 6 1/3 solid innings for the Tigers, but he left after hitting Marzilli with a pitch to start the winning rally.

Clemson got one of those runs back in the eighth when John Hinson blooped a ball into right field off Price that turned into a triple after a hard collision between second baseman Scott Wingo and right-fielder Whit Merrifield. Hinson scored on Brad Miller's groundout to cut the lead to 4-3.

But that was as close as the Tigers would get as Price shut the door. Mike Freeman singled with two outs in the ninth, but Walker made the game's final play to send the Gamecocks to their fourth do-or-die victory. That never-give-up spirit didn't surprise the gritty Wingo.

"I had faith. I really did. I knew this team could do it," Wingo said. "The people we've got on this team fight to the last second."

This game was the fifth meeting between the teams this season. The Tigers won two-of-three in March, but the Gamecocks fought back to take the two in Omaha. Tanner saluted the play of his team's archrival.

"This was the rubber game for the season. Our pitchers battled. Their guys battled. We're very fortunate," he said.

Clemson coach Jack Leggett, whose 2002 team also lost in the same situation in the CWS to the Gamecocks, tipped his cap to his rival.

"Just two good teams banging it out, that's all there is to it," Leggett said. "At this stage when you get to here, to me it's about playing to try to get into that national championship game and it doesn't matter who you're playing. We're not in the state of South Carolina right now, we're on the national stage. And I think that's how it has to be looked at. I think the state should be proud of both teams."

The Tigers finally knocked Dyson out of the game in the seventh inning, when he allowed a walk and bloop single with one out. Freeman then hit a ground ball up the middle that shortstop Bobby Haney fielded and flipped to Wingo for the forceout. But Wingo's errant throw in an attempt to get the double play allowed the tying run to score. After 112 pitches, coming on three day's rest after he beat Arizona State by throwing 119 pitches, Dyson left the game with the score 2-2.

"I was impressed with what Sam and Matt did," Tanner said. "What great performances, competitive efforts. I mean, it doesn't get any better than that."

Walker pulled a ball into the left-field seats in the fourth inning to give the Gamecocks a 2-1 lead. The homer was Walker's ninth of the season and third of the postseason. South Carolina scored a run in the first inning off Harman, who allowed a leadoff single to Marzilli, a bunt single to Merrifield and an opposite-field single by Bradley to load the bases. But Harman worked out of the jam when he got a double-play groundout from Walker, which scored the run. Bradley's hit extended his hitting streak to 21 games.

The Tigers got the run back to tie the game at 1-1 in the third inning. Dyson hit Will Lamb with a pitch with one out to get things started. Freeman drilled the ninth pitch of his at-bat past Wingo to put runners on the corners. Schaus got the run home with a fielder's choice grounder when USC could not turn the double play.

Merrifield, who had three hits on the night, was thrilled by the victory, but he and his teammates are still looking to win two more.

"As we said from the beginning, it's nice to get to Omaha. But we didn't just want to get here. We wanted to do something here," Merrifield said. "And we're in the position now to do something that this program has never accomplished before. We know we've got to play well to beat UCLA, and we're looking forward to having two more games, and hopefully scrapping two more wins."

Video: Watch the final moments of South Carolina's win

Watch this video in a larger player

Video: Ray Tanner on the win, task ahead

Watch this video in a larger player

Video: Merrifield, Walker, Price on the victory

Watch this video in a larger player

Video: Jack Leggett postgame comments

Watch this video in a larger player