Reptar: proud pet.

Tide, consider yourselves rolled. Oh, and Fear The Fish.

The Yardcocks routed Alabama 9-1 today in front of a sellout crowd at Carolina Stadium, earning their third straight SEC sweep. This was also their 11th conference victory in a row, marking their longest streak since 2000, when they won 17 games in a row. USC has also won their last five series.

South Carolina jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back. Bama threatened in the second inning with the bases loaded, but starter Patrick Sullivan pitched his way out of the jam and allowed the Crimson Tide only one run, also their only score of the game.

USC tacked on a run in their half of the second, and then another in the third when LB Dantzler went yard. He and Christian Walker lead the team with eight homers each. The Cocks got on the board one more itme in the fifth inning, adding their final two runs of the game.

Grayson Greiner and Joey Pankake led the Yardoccks at the plate, with Greiner going 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI and Pankake 2-for-4 with two RBI. South Carolina outhit Alabama 9-5.

Sullivan threw four innings where he allowed only one run on four hits. He walked four batters and recorded no K’s. Nolan Belcher came on in relief and earned the win, improving his record to 4-2 on the season. He pitched 3 1/3 innings and gave up no runs and only one hit. He struck out four batters and walked two. Hunter Privette shut the door, throwing 1 2/3 of an inning in which he was perfect, even striking out two batters.

» Continue reading ““Fear The Fish” Not A Fluke – South Carolina Sweeps Alabama”

It was a good day to be South Carolina.

After the NCAA released its ruling and the university found out they’ll face no further sanctions, the baseball team got down to business, resuming their game from yesterday which was postponed due to weather.

LB and Reptar took questions following Game 2. Seriously.

The Cocks were hitless when the game resumed in the eighth inning, but Adam Matthews changed all that with a solo homer to lead off the inning. That one run was all the scoring either team would do, and USC hung on for a 1-0 victory over the Tide.

Michael Roth pitched all seven innings on Thursday, surrendering no runs on four hits. He walked four batters and struck out five. Tyler Webb, who pitched a perfect eighth inning, got the win and is now 4-0 on the season. Matt Price hurled a flawless ninth inning to earn his fifth save of the year. Bama’s Jon Keller took the loss and fell to 1-3.

Game 2 had all the hits and runs the first game was lacking. South Carolina defeated Alabama 12-11 thanks to a bottom-of-the-ninth rally, and the teams combined for 27 hits.

The Crimson Tide got on the board early, taking a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Christian Walker smacked a ball out of the park to make it 4-2 in the bottom of the inning, but Bama responded with a two-run shot of their own. Matthews hit another solo bomb in the second inning and Grayson Greiner went yard to bring in three runs in the fourth. The Gamecocks led 9-7 after the fourth inning, but the Tide weren’t done.

Bama held an 11-9 lead going into the bottom of the ninth, when Sean Sullivan stepped up to save the day. After Evan Marzilli struck out, Greiner brought in Walker from second with a single, and TJ Costen doubled to put runners at second and third. LB Dantzler was intentionally walked, which loaded the bases for Sullivan. He hit a blooper into left-center, and a fielding flub allowed Costen to make it across home plate.

» Continue reading “Yardcocks Take Series Over Bama, Jeffery Drafted By Bears”

After too many days without Gamecock baseball, the boys will be back on the diamond tomorrow night to begin a series against Alabama.

We’ve now passed the midway point of SEC play, so it’s crucial that the Cocks keep up the success they’ve had against conference teams recently. They’ll have to do it without pitcher Colby Holmes, though, after Ray Tanner confirmed that Holmes strained a muscle during practice today.

That means that Michael Roth and Jordan Montgomery will start Thursday and Friday as planned, but the Saturday starter is still unknown. It could be Matt Price, especially if he isn’t used much in the first two games. Roth has struggled a bit as of late, so hopefully can get back on track.

Freshmen were key in the sweep against the Tigers last weekend and if they’re still hot this weekend, that can only mean good things for South Carolina. After losing plenty of low scoring games, USC rolled over AU 12-5 and 11-7. Hopefully that’s an indication that things on finally coming together and the offense will no longer be MIA.

Carolina is 30-11 overall so far this season and 11-7 in SEC play. They’re tied with Florida for second in the East, with Kentucky as the top team. At 17-25 overall and 6-12 in the conference, the Tide aren’t doing so hot, and are in fact last in the West. That being said, if the Gamecocks don’t play quality baseball, they could find themselves on the wrong side of an upset, and worse yet, dropping games they really need to win.

The first pitch on Thursday is scheduled for 7:30 ET at Carolina Stadium. This is also the SEC Game of the Week on ESPNU. Friday’s game will get started at 7 ET, and Saturdy’s contests is set for 1:30 ET.

» Continue reading “Yardcocks Look To Keep Things Rolling Against Bama”

I'm pretty sure about zero people looked this pleased this season.

It’s probably a bad thing when you’re relieved that your team’s season is over, but in this case, it couldn’t have ended soon enough.

Perhaps as a birthday present to me, the Gamecocks fell to Alabama (one of the two teams they beat during the regular season) 63-57 today in the first round of the SEC Tournament. As much as I would’ve liked USC to make some sort of miracle run, this is really better. There’s no need to prolong the agony that is men’s basketball at South Carolina.

In a mainly empty arena (sound familiar?) and somewhat unsurprisingly, the Tide rolled all over Carolina and led by as many as 14 points. USC trailed at the half and never had a lead. The Cocks were ice cold for a five-minute period, too, and Alabama took advantage in any way they could.

Brenton Williams and Damien Leonard each had 13 points for the Gamecocks, the most on the team. Trevor Lacey had 15 to lead Bama. Carolina did nothing to help themselves, turning the ball over 17 times and struggling to play good basketball (as they did for the entire regular season). They also only reached the free throw line six times, and while they made five of the attempts, that clearly wasn’t enough. The Crimson Tide, on the other hand, had 29 free throw tries and missed only five.

South Carolina finishes the season with a dismal 10-21, 2-11 record and lingering questions about whether or not Darrin Horn will still be the coach next season. Though administration came out in support of Horn, most fans likely wouldn’t be heartbroken if he were to be shown the door.

Good bye and good riddance, 2011-12 basketball season. You were a disaster and a half and we won’t miss you.

Coach Staley will try to stay perfect against Bama.

In just about 15 minutes, the Lady Gamecocks will take on the Crimson Tide in the first round of the SEC Tournament in Nashville. The game is on Fox Sports South.

Based on the stats, USC should come out on top. Here’s what you need to know:

• South Carolina comes in ranked No. 25 by the AP, while Alabama isn’t ranked.
• The Gamecocks are 21-8 overall and 10-6 in conference play, Bama is 12-18 on the season and 2-12 in SEC play.
• Alabama is allowing almost 65 points per game, South Carolina allowed less than 50 on average.
• The Crimson Tide are one a three-game losing streak, the Gamecocks won their final game of the season.
• USC’s Aleighsa Welch is probable for the Tourney. Will she play tonight? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
• South Carolina coach Dawn Staley has never lost to the Tide. Carolina is 15-15 against them all-time.
• If the Gamecocks win, they’ll play Georgia in the next round.

Congrats to Coach Dawn Staley and her team!

The No. 25-ranked ladies bounced back from Thursday’s loss to No. 18 Georgia and defeated Alabama 69-55 in Tuscaloosa this afternoon, earning their 20th victory of the season.

They also notched their ninth SEC win, meaning they’ll have a winning record in the conference for the first time since the 2002-2003 season.

South Carolina (20-7, 9-5) went on a 21-6 run during the first half and took a 12 point lead to the locker room at the half. They couldn’t quite match that crispness in the second half, but they did enough to come away with the win on the Tide’s Senior Day. Bama didn’t give up and attempted to come from behind late in the game, but the Gamecocks were able to hold them off.

La’Keisha Sutton led USC with 13 points and seven rebounds. Markeshia Grant and Ieasia Walker were also in double figures. Jasmine Robinson led Bama with 17 points. The Crimson Tide were only 19-69 on field goals, while Carolina went 25-45. The Gamecocks led by as much as 18, Alabama led by as much as…1 point, and that was with just over 14 minutes left in the first half.

» Continue reading “Women’s Hoops Reaches 20 Victories”

Welcome to the second-to-last installment of football SEC summaries for this season. It’s hard to believe that the regular season went by so quickly, but the good news is that we’ve arrived at bowl season again. Of the 12 teams in the Southeastern Conference, nine were bowl-eligible this season (Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Kentucky were not), and all those eligible were given bowl bids. Below are the details of where each team will be headed and when, who they’ll be playing, and any major storylines that might be important/interesting to know.

(1) LSU and (2) Alabama

The Tigers (13-0, 9-0) will face off against the Tide (11-1, 7-1) in the BCS National Championship Game. The game will be played in New Orleans on Monday, January 9th, and will kick off at 8:30 ET on ESPN.

Major storylines: This is a rematch, the first ever national title game with two teams from the same conference, OMG THIS IS A REMATCH OF SAME CONFERENCE TEAMS IS THAT FAIR?!?!?! (I say yes.)

(8) Arkansas

The Razorbacks, (10-2, 6-2) will play against No. 8 Kansas State (10-2, 7-2) in the AT&T Cotton Bowl. The game will be held in Arlington, Texas, on Friday, January 6th. It’s set to start at 8 ET and will be televised on FOX.

Major storylines: Um…the game is being played at JerryWorld and is one of the best non-BCS games, Arkansas is the highest ranked team who did NOT get selected for a BCS bowl.

» Continue reading “SEC Summary: Bowl Game Edition”

Welcome to one of the last installments of Cocky Country’s weekly summary of SEC football action. This was rivalry week, so winning was that much sweeter, and losing hurt that much more. Now that all is said and done, there will only be two SEC teams playing next weekend – No. 1 LSU and No. 13. UGA. They’ll meet at the Atlanta Dome to decide the SEC championship Saturday night. Six teams finished with overall winning records, while only five finished with winning conference records. Only four SEC teams will not go bowling, while two will almost certainly play for the national championship.

(3) Arkansas at (1) LSU

Had Arkansas pulled off a win Friday in Baton Rouge, the BCS would have been sent into chaos. Luckily for the BCS, that didn’t happen. After getting off to a slow start, LSU rallied to soundly defeat the Razorbacks 41-17. The Hogs got off to a good start, taking a 14-0 lead in the second quarter, and one of those TDs came from a Tigers fumble. They couldn’t keep up with a resilient and powerful LSU team, though, who had taken the lead by halftime. Arkansas scored only once more, a third quarter field goal, pulling them within four points of tying the game. The Tigers went on to score 20 answered points, though, completing their perfect regular season and almost certainly knocking the Razorbacks out of BCS bowl contention. The Tigers’ Honey Badger, Tyrann Mathieu, had a great game, highlighted by his 92-yard punt return for a touchdown. LSU QB Jordan Jefferson was 18 of 29 for 208 yards on the day. He threw his first interception of the year, but also threw for a touchdown and ran for one. The five Tigers TDs were scored by five different players. LSU had 26 first downs to Arkansas’ 11, and had 286 yards on the ground, compared to the Hogs’ 47. The non-football storyline from this game was Razorbacks coach Bobby Petrino’s apparent disrespect of Tigers coach Les Miles. Petrino pointed at Miles from across the field and appeared to have a few choice words for his opposition. He then pretty much blew off the post-game handshake at midfield. I’m no Miles fan, but that’s just not appropriate. Stay classy, Bobby.

Arkansas falls to 10-2 overall and 6-2 in the SEC. They will await a bid, potentially from the Cotton Bowl . LSU improves to 12-0 on the season and 8-0 in conference play. They’ll travel to Atlanta to take on SEC East champ Georgia in the SEC title game, then will either play for the national championship or, should they lose to UGA, possibly be selected for another bowl.

» Continue reading “SEC Summary: Week Thirteen”

Welcome to the Week Twelve breakdown of what went on in SEC football this weekend. There’s only one week left in the regular season, and a few teams are still battling to become bowl eligible. LSU remains the only unbeaten team (in and out of the conference), while Ole Miss is the only team without an SEC victory. There are seven bowl eligible teams (South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, and Auburn), three teams still hoping for eligibility (Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Mississippi State), and two teams who will not go bowling (Kentucky and Ole Miss). As the regular seasons comes to an end, it’s now rivalry week for many schools. Read on for recaps on commentary on this weekend’s SEC action. 

Kentucky at (14) Georgia

This game was for all the marbles, at least in Georgia’s case. A win would send them to the SEC title game, a loss would send South Carolina. Lucky for the Dawgs, they were playing the Wildcats, who have only one conference win. The 19-10 score was a lot closer than I thought it would be, but UGA certainly didn’t care, as they punched their ticket to Atlanta and ensured Mark Richt’s time in Athens will last at least one more year. UK took an early lead and Georgia wasn’t even all that sharp offensively, but their defense and kicker Blair Walsh, combined with Kentucky’s general ineptitude, was enough to secure a victory. The only bad news for the Bulldogs was that they lost RB Isaiah Crowell to an ankle injury. He sat out most of the game and his status for the future is unknown. Turnovers plagues both teams (each had four), but the Wildcats also couldn’t develop any sort of ground game (23 yards total) and had almost no first downs in the second half. QB Maxwell Smith was also left the game but was able to return.

Georgia improves to 9-2 overall and 7-1 in the SEC. They’ll travel to take on Georgia Tech in the rivalry game to end the regular season. Kentucky falls to 4-7 on the season and 1-6 in conference play. They will play their final game of the season at home against Tennessee.

» Continue reading “SEC Summary: Week Twelve”

Welcome to Cocky Country’s SEC summary for Week Eleven. The college football season is rapidly coming to an end, and now’s the time when teams are more likely to be facing must-win situations. Somewhat unbelievably, there are still two SEC teams that are winless in the conference – Tennessee and Ole Miss. There’s also still on undefeated team – LSU. Most other teams are either trying to stay alive in the division race or trying to win and get bowl-eligible. Six teams from the conference are in the BCS Top-25, and three of them are also in the Top-10. Read on for recaps and commentary about what went on in the SEC this weekend.

Kentucky at Vanderbilt

Not to take anything away from Vandy, but Kentucky is incredibly bad. Their one conference victory this season came against an even worse Ole Miss team (more on them later), and they’ve been hapless in almost all of their other games. Yesterday was no different, as the Commodores rolled to a 38-8 victory at home. UK didn’t even score until the third quarter, when they managed a touchdown and two-point conversion. Prior to that score, they were down 31-0. Jordan Rodgers completed 12 of 22 passes for over 200 yards, two TDs, and a pick. RB Zac Stacy added three touchdowns and had 28 carries for 135 yards. Kentucky’s leading rushers, Jonathan George and CoShik Williams, had less than half that many yards combined, and Vandy outgained UK in rushing yards 203-32. The Wildcats also had only nine first downs to the Commodores’ 28 and were flagged 10 times. This was the biggest margin of victory has had in an SEC game since they beat Mississippi State 49-19 in 1971, and they are now one win away from being bowl eligible for the first time in three years.

Vanderbilt improves to 5-5 overall and 2-5 in the conference. They’ll be in Knoxville next weekend to take on a struggling Tennessee team. Kentucky drops to 4-6 on the season and 1-5 in the SEC. They’ll travel to Georgia next weekend to try and spoil the Bulldogs’ SEC championship bid (and help South Carolina’s).

» Continue reading “SEC Summary: Week Eleven”