When Game 1 finally resumed on Saturday after being suspended Friday, Virginia starter Branden Kline and Army starter Chris Rowley were back on the mound. Three 3-run innings propelled the Cavaliers into the winner’s bracket with a 9-1 win. UVA will play Appalachian State (who beat Oklahoma) on Sunday at 3pm ET.
UVA got on the board in the 2nd inning. The three-run inning was capped by Stephen Bruno‘s two-run single. Army got on the board in the 6th inning on an RBI ground out. Kline was replaced by Kyle Crockett with runners at first and second base and Crockett got the strikeout to end the inning. A Branden Cogswell bases-clearing double in the bottom of the 6th inning put the Cavaliers up 6-1.
Bruno and Brandon Dowes each had three hits. Austin Young pitched the final two innings and did not allow a hit for the Cavaliers.
*****************************************************************************
Miami became the first host school to be eliminated, as they lost 12-2 to Missouri State. They began their elimination game with a dud in the very first inning. The Hurricanes led off with two straight singles, but they ran into an out and their middle-of-the-order guys struck out.
Then Missouri State’s offense went to work against Miami starter Steven Ewing. It all started with one out, but it took eight more hitters for Ewing to record another out. He allowed six hits, two walks, and seven runs while recording just two outs. After the inning was finally over, the Miami announcer summed it up with “holy crap”.
Hurricanes reliever Eric Whaley (who is normally a starter) held Missouri State scoreless over three innings, but allowed three runs in the 6th inning.
Brock Chaffin and Keenen Maddux each had three hits in the victory. Maddux drove in four runs. Missouri State, whose pitching staff leads the nation in ERA, will face the loser of the UCF-Stony Brook game on Sunday at 2pm ET.
****************************************************************************
Clemson and South Carolina don’t like each other, which made for an electric crowd for Saturday’s winner’s bracket game. The Gamecocks continued their dominance in the NCAA Tournament, as LB Dantzler delivered a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 12th inning for a 5-4 victory.
NCAA Tournament phenom Michael Roth took the mound for South Carolina and struggled to throw strikes throughout. In the 2nd inning, he had bases loaded and no outs, but an interference call on a double play erased the run and Roth escaped unscathed. He was helped out by stellar defense all day.
Meanwhile, Tigers freshman Daniel Gossett was pumping strikes, until the 4th inning. After a two out walk, Adam Matthews hit a two-run homerun. That didn’t rattle Gossett. Clemson finally broke through against Roth in the 7th inning with four singles. Matt Price came on in relief to face the dangerous Richie Shaffer, who walked to load the bases. Phil Pohl followed with an RBI fielder’s choice (thanks to Shaffer not sliding at second base) to give Clemson the lead.
Brad Felder of the Tigers made a diving catch with runners on base and two outs to save runs in the bottom of the 7th inning and hit a solo homerun in the top of the 8th inning. The Clemson bullpen allowed a run in the bottom of the 8th inning. In the 9th inning against former Clemson starter Kevin Brady, Joey Pankake delivered an RBI single to tie the game, Chase Vergason was thrown out at the plate and the game proceeded into extra innings.
Clemson will face Coastal Carolina again, this time in an elimination game at noon ET on Sunday. The Gamecocks await the winner for a 4pm ET game on Sunday.
For more on the Gamecocks, check out Cocky Country.
***************************************************************************
All-ACC starter Kent Emanuel got the ball for North Carolina in the winner’s bracket game versus St. John’s. He was locked in a pitcher’s duel with SJU’s Sean Hagan.
St. John’s led 2-1 before Shell McCain hit a two-run homerun in the 6th inning. UNC tacked on an insurance run on a Parks Jordan RBI double in the top of the 9th inning.
UNC sent All-ACC closer Michael Morin to the mound in the bottom of the 9th inning with a 4-2 lead. With runners at the corners and one out, Danny Bathea hit a three-run, walk-off homerun. I imagine you could hear crickets in Chapel Hill, as fans and Tarheels players alike must have been totally shocked.
St. John’s improved to 2-0, while the Tarheels fall into the loser’s bracket to face East Carolina on Sunday at 1pm ET. SJU awaits the winner for a 6pm ET game.
******************************************************************************
Facing the powerful Samford lineup, Florida State freshman starter Brandon Liebrandt was the star of the night. He pitched a career-high eight shutout innings, struck out a career-high ten, and retired the final 15 batters he faced. Oh and he allowed just three hits and did not walk a batter. FSU won 8-1 and improves to 2-0 in their regional.
Samford will face Mississippi State in an elimination game on Sunday at noon ET. FSU awaits the winner at 6pm ET on Sunday. Both games can be seen on ESPN3.
The Seminoles showed off some power of their own, as Sherman Johnson led off the game with a solo homerun. Still leading 1-0 in the 6th inning, Jayce Boyd ripped a two-run single and Stephen McGee followed with an RBI single to give FSU the 4-0 lead.
In the very next inning, FSU chased Samford starter Josh Martin, as they loaded the bases with two outs for ACC Player of the Year James Ramsey. Ramsey hit his first career grand slam (and first career NCAA Tournament homerun) off a lefty on an 0-1 pitch (it was an absolute bomb).
*****************************************************************************
Georgia Tech sent ace Buck Farmer to the mound in the winner’s bracket game versus number 1 Florida, but was out-pitched by Hudson Randall. The Gators won 6-2 and improved to 2-0 in their regional. GT will face the College of Charleston at noon ET on Sunday. The rematch can be seen on ESPN2. Florida awaits the winner at 6pm ET on ESPN3.
The Yellow Jackets got on the board first against Randall on a Mott Hyde RBI single in the 2nd inning (they had three hits in the inning). Florida came right back to tie the game on a Nolan Fontana sac fly.
Florida went ahead in the 4th inning with a three-spot, one on a Mike Zunino solo homerun to lead off the inning. After GT cut the deficit to 4-2 after eight innings, the Gators tacked on some insurance in the top of the 9th inning on a Preston Tucker two-run homerun.
There was some controversy in the game, as GT head coach Danny Hall was ejected from the game. If I’m right, he will not be able to coach tomorrow’s elimination game.
****************************************************************************
In the final ACC game of the night, fans in North Carolina were stunned by another walk-off loss. NC State and Vanderbilt were playing in the winner’s bracket game, with NC State leading late. The Commodores scored five runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to tie the game at 8-8. Vandy walked off on a two out RBI single from Tony Kemp (his only hit of the night) to win 9-8.
The Wolfpack will face UNC Wilmington in an elimination game at 1pm ET on Sunday. Vandy awaits the winner at 6pm ET.
All of the offense came after the 5th inning: a combined 16 runs scored (Vandy was leading 1-0).
NC State sent ACC Pitcher of the Year (and Freshman of the Year) Carlos Rodon to the mound. He struggled with his command (five walks) over 6.2 innings. But he left the game with a win.
With the two teams locked in a pitcher’s duel and a 1-1 tie, the Wolfpack broke out with a three-run 6th inning against Vandy starter Sam Selman. Ryan Mathews hit another homerun (a two-run shot) in the top of the 8th inning for the Wolfpack.
