Lightning, extra innings in Greenville delay start of South Carolina's NCAA game
South Carolina baseball's matchup with ECU in the winner's bracket of the NCAA tournament regional will be delayed at least slightly on Saturday, as the game before it went to extra innings and was then delayed due to inclement weather.
Ohio State and UNC-Wilmington were tied at three in the 12th inning when lightning was sighted nearby the stadium, forcing a mandatory 30-minute delay at Clark-LeClair Stadium at 3:51 p.m. By the end of that delay, hard rain began to fall, extending the delay. That game restarted at 5:30 p.m.
NCAA rules require teams have a 50-minute warmup period before games, but more inclement weather in the forecast led to USC and ECU’s start time to being pushed back to 9:04 p.m. First pitch had previously been scheduled for 5 p.m.
The forecast in Greenville had been threatening for most of the weekend, but Friday's games went off smoothly, and OSU and UNCW's contest took place under mostly sunny skies early on, before the sky darkened in extra innings.
The game almost ended in bottom of the 11th, as the Seahawks rallied after the Buckeyes went ahead 3-2 in the top half of the frame. UNC-Wilmington used a double and RBI single to tie things up, and after the runner advanced on the throw home, he attempted to score on another single.
In a close play at the plate, the umpire ruled Ohio State's catcher had gotten the tag in time, drawing the ire of UNC-Wilmington's players and coach. The NCAA tournament, however, does not have instant replay, so the call stood and the game continued.
Eventually, UNC-Wilmington won in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the 13th inning. The Seahawks now advance to Sunday's early game, scheduled for noon, and will face the loser of USC-ECU.
The winner of South Carolina-East Carolina will earn a shot at the regional championship in Sunday's late game, scheduled to start at 6 p.m. However, more thunderstorms and rain are forecasted from roughly noon to 5 p.m.
This story was originally published June 2, 2018 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Lightning, extra innings in Greenville delay start of South Carolina's NCAA game."