Confusion ensues for Gamecocks after Thompson-Williams’ near catch
The umpires bunched together on the Founders Park infield for at least a full minute as confusion swirled around them.
What had happened was South Carolina centerfielder Dom Thompson-Williams made a dive for a ball hit by Rhode Island’s Jordan Powell in the top of the fifth inning of Friday’s NCAA Baseball Regional with the bases loaded. Replay showed he didn’t get it.
He came up firing and got the ball to second in time to get the force out as the runner at first appeared to think the ball had been caught.
But the questions lingered for that minute. Was it a catch? Were runners caught off the bag or caught in a force?
“I still don’t know actually what happened and why they called the guy out at second,” Gamecocks outfielder Gene Cone said afterward. “I didn’t know if he caught the ball and the guy at first didn’t advance, or they were saying the guy didn’t tag up from second.”
The final call was a fielder’s choice that plated the tying and go-ahead runs, robbing South Carolina of momentum and earning the umpire crew an avalanche of boos.
Ace in the end
Rhetoric through the week centered on Rhode Island pitcher Tyler Wilson. In a sense, it should have been, as the strapping lefty had struck out 111 hitters in fewer than 96 innings of work.
The Gamecocks hitters didn’t seem to pay all that much mind.
They hit him hard early as Gene Cone led off the game with a solo shot to right, and then after a fly out to the warning track and a double, Alex Destino hammered a pitch to about the same spot.
Wilson had nearly hit Destino on the preceding pitch, and the Gamecocks designated hitter took an extra beat to admire his handiwork before rounding the bases.
But the Rams ace wasn’t down and out. He gave up another run, while striking out 11 in seven innings, throwing 125 pitches. He left the game in line for the win.
Second timers
When Rhode Island’s Ryan Olmo and Brett McManus hit back-to-back home runs off South Carolina ace Clarke Schmidt to get the Rams on the board, it was a rare feat for both.
The solo shots were just the second home runs of the year for both Olmo and McManus. Rhode Island came in with 29 home runs on they year, with only three players hitting more than three.
Notes
▪ Attendance was announced at 6,823, more than 500 fewer than the total for the 2014 regional opener.
▪ Gamecocks coach Chad Holbrook got tossed in the seventh inning. It was the second ejection of his career but he will not be suspended Saturday.
▪ Clarke Schmidt failed to get to five innings for the third consecutive start. He was chased after four innings, striking out eight but allowing five earned runs. Schmidt has a 6.91 ERA over his past five starts.
▪ USC scored runs scored off Rhode Island ace Tyler Wilson in the first inning. He had allowed two runs over eight starts entering Friday night.
▪ South Carolina last lost its NCAA regional opener in 1983. The Gamecocks lost to James Madison, en route to being swept out of a regional.
▪ UNCW top pitcher Ryan Foster induced eight ground balls against the first nine hitters he faced against Duke in Saturday’s opener, a sign to coach Mark Scalf he was locked in an pitching the way he prefers. He ended up throwing the full nine innings of one-run ball, but was nearing the 100 pitch mark as he closed the eighth.
That wasn’t going to make a difference.
“I told the coach I’d finish,” said Foster, who threw 114 pitches on the night.
▪ Duke coach Chris Pollard said his team could take something about the way it stabilized after getting knocked around early. Granted the Blue Devils spent the final two-thirds of the game trailing by double digit runs.
Bailey Clark came in and pitched five innings in relief, a performance Pollard called key as it saved the bullpen from further use. His squad, playing in its first tournament since 1961, will play for its season Saturday.
This story was originally published June 4, 2016 at 12:35 AM with the headline "Confusion ensues for Gamecocks after Thompson-Williams’ near catch."