Gamecocks take command of NCAA regional with win over host ECU

Thousands of East Carolina fans stuck around through hours of rain and lightning delays to watch ECU host South Carolina baseball in the NCAA tournament Saturday night.

USC spoiled the party at Clark-LeClair Stadium, however, racing to an early lead and then holding on for a 4-2 win, moving just one victory away from a Super Regional berth.

Against Gamecock sophomore starter Cody Morris, the regional hosts got off to a strong start with a leadoff double from sophomore left fielder Bryant Packard that thrilled the home crowd. However, senior catcher Hunter Taylor erased that momentum two at-bats later, catching Packard leaning after a ball in the dirt and throwing to second, sparking a rundown that retired him.

"He's got one of the best arms in the country," Morris said of Taylor. "It makes it a lot easier on me and it's good having him back there."

The Gamecocks (35-24), meanwhile, struck with their first opportunity to further take the air out of the stadium. Junior center fielder Danny Blair, who played the hero on Friday with a pivotal home run, kicked things off by beating out an infield single, then advanced to second on a balk.

Senior designated hitter Madison Stokes followed with a walk, and senior third baseman Jonah Bride smoked a double to the left-field corner to score both runners. Junior shortstop LT Tolbert then flared a soft line drive to shallow left, and as third base coach Stuart Lake waved Bride home, Packard charged and missed the ball, allowing Bride to score easily.

"It was huge to jump on them, for sure. Danny Blair, at the top of the lineup, had three hits tonight, that was huge for us," Bride said.

Morris, meanwhile, mowed through eight consecutive Pirate batters after the leadoff double, mixing his change-up effectively with his elite fastball to keep the Pirates off-balance.

"I was able to establish (the change-up) early for a strike and bury it late in the count," Morris said. "I felt like I had pretty decent fastball command and the defense played great behind me."

The only spots of trouble he ran into came in the fourth and sixth, in both cases started by singles from Packard, who came around to score on a sacrifice fly and double steal, respectively.

Beyond that, however, Morris was dominant, pitching into the eighth inning on 106 pitches before making way for junior Ridge Chapman before Packard came to the plate with a man on first and one. Chapman got the crucial strikeout, then a foul out, to end the inning.

In the bottom half of the eighth, USC added a valuable insurance run when Row was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a wild pitch. A double from junior right fielder Jacob Olson flared down the left field line scored Row easily.

"The fourth run in the eighth inning was key, just to give us a little bit of space there. A two-run lead is much different from a one-run lead," South Carolina coach Mark Kingston said.

Sophomore reliever Sawyer Bridges came in for Chapman in the ninth to close out the game and earn the save, letting out a triumphant yell with the final out.

"It was a packed crowd, and Cody threw a gem so I didn't want to be the guy to mess it up for him and mess it up for our team," Bridges said. "I'm an emotional guy when I'm on the mound, and I used that to my advantage."

THREE POINTS

Star of the game: Cody Morris, who set a new career best in innings pitched with 7 1/3, striking out seven while scattering four walks and five hits throughout. After USC's bullpen went five innings Friday, Morris' long outing — the longest by any Gamecock this season — was exactly what the team needed.

"It was huge for the bullpen, because those guys were able to have the day off and now they'll be ready to pitch for us tomorrow," Kingston said.

Play of the game: In the bottom of the fourth, with one run already in for ECU and runners on first and second, one out, the Pirates attempted a double steal. Hunter Taylor fired a strike to third to get the lead runner, eliminating a huge threat.

Stat of the game: While the Gamecocks and Pirates had similar numbers of baserunners — 12 for USC, 10 for ECU — South Carolina had 13 at-bats with runners in scoring position, while East Carolina had just two.

NEXT

Who: South Carolina (35-24, 17-13 SEC) vs. winner of East Carolina/UNC-Wilmington

This story was originally published June 3, 2018 at 12:36 AM with the headline "Gamecocks take command of NCAA regional with win over host ECU."