Gamecocks battle past UNCW to force winner-take-all rematch

South Carolina isn’t done yet.

The Gamecocks blasted Rhode Island 23-2 Sunday afternoon and pounded UNCW 10-1 in the nightcap to move within a win of advancing to the Super Regionals.

USC has won three straight in the Columbia Regional after dropping its opener. Because of rainy weather, the Gamecocks will face the Seahawks on Tuesday with the winner moving on.

“It was a great day for our team. We played some great baseball for 18 innings today against some good players and good teams,” USC coach Chad Holbrook said. “We won two games today. They don’t give us a trophy because of that. We have to win tomorrow.”

USC got a couple of masterful pitching performances from Adam Hill and Tyler Johnson, with Hill earning the win with seven strong innings in Game 1 and Johnson throwing a complete game and allowing five hits in Game 2.

Johnson, the Gamecocks closer, threw 115 pitches, struck out 11 and walked one against a UNCW lineup that scored 11 runs in each of its first two games in Columbia and entered Sunday hitting .322 as a team.

USC was able to save its bullpen and should have Clarke Schmidt, Braden Webb, Reed Scott, Josh Reagan and Taylor Widener ready to go on Tuesday.

“If you asked me, ‘You’ve got to win two games today, how do you draw it up?’ It would have been about like this,” Holbrook said.

USC pounded out 35 hits Sunday, including a 6-for-8 day for reserve infielder DC Arendas, who replaced Jonah Bride in the first inning of Game 1 after Bride was ejected for not sliding on a play at the plate.

Bride was also suspended for Game 2, but Arendas homered, tripled, scored five runs and added three RBIs over the course of the two victories.

“I think everyone that was in the lineup today contributed,” Arendas said. “That’s what we knew we had to have coming into today. We had the opportunity to play two games, so we knew everyone was going to have to contribute. We’re going to have to do the same thing tomorrow.”

Gene Cone went 6-for-8 with six RBIs, TJ Hopkins had six RBIs and Alex Destino went 4-for-9 with three RBIs. The Gamecocks had 11 different players record at least one hit.

THREE POINTS

Star of the games: Johnson: The goal was for the closer to last three or four innings. He ended up going nine while shutting down one of the best offenses in the country. The only run he allowed was a solo homer to Brian Mims in the first inning.

Play of the games: Johnson finished off his masterful performance with a three-pitch strikeout of Casey Golden to punctuate a dominant day of baseball by USC.

Stat of the games: 7: Arendas, batting .206 entering the weekend, reached base on seven straight plate appearances with six hits and a walk.

OBSERVATIONS

USC is in the driver’s seat: The Gamecocks have everyone but Tyler Johnson and Adam Hill ready to pitch at least a couple of innings on Tuesday. UNCW is on the last leg of its bullpen.

Crowd made a difference: USC fans got in the head of UNCW starter Cory Gantz early and he was rattled from the start. He allowed five earned runs in 1 1/3 innings before giving way to the bullpen.

Gamecocks have shown toughness: USC dug itself a huge hole by losing its opener, but has bounced back to outscore three opponents 37-5 since.

NEXT

What: South Carolina vs. UNCW

When: Tuesday, time TBD

Where: Founders Park

Probable pitchers: USC – TBA; UNCW – Ryan Foster (Sr. RHP)

Watch: TBD

Radio: 107.5 FM

This story was originally published June 5, 2016 at 9:13 PM with the headline "Gamecocks battle past UNCW to force winner-take-all rematch."