Baseball: USC eliminated from SEC tourney

Texas A&M struck for three runs in the top of the second inning and added an unearned run in the ninth inning on the way to a 4-1 win over South Carolina in an elimination game at the SEC tournament. The Aggies improved to 42-14 with the Gamecocks now 42-15 on the year.

Texas A&M starter Brigham Hill (8-1) earned the win. He allowed one unearned run on five hits in seven innings with three walks and eight strikeouts. Aggies reliever Mark Ecker pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save of the season. South Carolina freshman right-hander Braden Webb (10-5) suffered the loss. Webb allowed three runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings with two walks and eight strikeouts.

The Aggies scored three runs in the second inning on three consecutive hits. With one out and Ryne Birk on second base, Nick Banks bounced an RBI single into left field. That was followed by an RBI double off the bat of Michael Barash and an RBI single from Jonathan Moroney to give the Aggies a 3-0 lead.

A pair of Aggie errors led to the Gamecocks’ lone run in the bottom of the third inning. Gene Cone walked with one out and the Gamecocks executed a perfect hit-and-run as Marcus Mooney singled to right field. On the Mooney base hit, A&M right fielder Nicks Banks bobbled the ball, allowing Cone to score and cutting the deficit to 3-1.

It remained that way until the ninth inning when a two-out RBI base hit from Austin Homan to give the Aggies a three-run cushion.

GAME CHANGER

The three-run second inning was all the Aggies needed on the way to a win.

KEY STAT

Carolina was limited to just five singles in the contest.

NOTABLES

▪ Three Gamecocks have seven-game hitting streaks. Mooney’s third-inning base hit extended his hitting streak to seven games, the longest of the season. He has also reached base in 11 straight contests. Cone has reached base in nine straight games and has a seven-game hitting streak. Cone was 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored. Jonah Bride also had a base hit and owns a season-long seven-game hitting streak.

▪ Madison Stokes extended his hitting streak to five games, tying a season-high. He has reached base in six straight games.

UP NEXT

South Carolina awaits word on the NCAA tournament field. The 16 Regional hosts will be announced at 8:30 p.m. Sunday at www.facebook.com/NCAACWS. The tournament selection show, with regional pairings, will be revealed at noon Monday on ESPNU.

ACC tournament Clemson 5, Virginia 4

Chase Pinder’s sacrifice fly in the ninth inning lifted No. 15 Clemson to a win over No. 8 Virginia in the ACC tournament at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The Tigers, who improved to 1-0 in the tourney, upped their record to 39-18, while the Cavaliers, who fell to 0-1 in the tournament, dropped to 36-19.

Weston Wilson hit a run-scoring double in the top of the second inning, then Daniel Pinero belted a solo homer in the bottom of the second inning to tie the score. In the fifth inning, Mike Triller, making just his third start of the year, laced an opposite-field, two-run homer on a 1-2 pitch, his second long ball of the season. Later in the frame, Eli White lined a two-out, run-scoring double.

The Cavaliers lifted back-to-back sacrifice flies in the sixth inning, then Matt Thaiss crushed a leadoff homer in the eighth inning to tie the score. But Chris Williams led off the ninth inning with a single and came around to score on Pinder’s sacrifice fly to deep left-center.

Pat Krall (9-1) earned the win in relief in two innings pitched. Cavalier reliever Tyler Shambora (5-1) suffered the loss.

The Tigers will play No. 2 seed Louisville at 11 a.m. Friday on ESPN3.

Late Wednesday Big South Tournament Coastal Carolina 4, Gardner-Webb 3

Top seed and 17th-ranked Coastal Carolina had to hold off scoring threats in the eighth and ninth innings but held on to defeat No. 4 seed Gardner-Webb in the second round of the Big South tournament.

The Chanticleers (42-15) will play in the semifinal versus the winner of High Point and Longwood at 10 a.m. Friday.

Gardner-Webb (37-20) scored once in the ninth to draw within 4-3. The Bulldogs put the tying run on third and the go-ahead run on second before Mike Morrison struck out Justin Kunz to end the game and earn his seventh save of the season. (Morrison got the win in the opening round and is 7-1 on the year.)

Gardner-Webb got on the scoreboard first as Danny Sullivan hit the first pitch of the second inning over the fence for a 1-0 GWU lead.

Coastal used the longball to get on the board in the fourth. Connor Owings singled to right and Zach Remillard crushed a two-run home run. The blast was Remillard’s 17th of the season and gave Coastal a 2-1 lead.

The Runnin’ Bulldogs answered in the top of the fifth, tying the game at 2, as Matt Simmons sliced an opposite field home run just inside the left-field foul pole.

The Chants regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Owings legged out a fielder’s choice to avoid an inning-ending double play. Remillard then laid down a bunt single and G.K. Young lined an RBI single to bring home Owings.

Gardner-Webb made a little noise in the top of the seventh as Simmons singled and Mason Fox walked with two outs. However, CCU starter Andrew Beckwith struck out pinch-hitter Chandler Redmond.

The Chants rode that momentum into the bottom half of the seventh. Seth Lancaster hit a leadoff double and moved to third on a Matt Beaird sacrifice bunt. Anthony Marks hit a high chopper to second, which allowed Lancaster to score for a 4-2 lead.

The Bulldogs again threatened in the eighth. After back-to-back singles to start the frame, Collin Thacker hit a soft pop fly between the first and second basemen. Lancaster tried to catch the ball in the air, but dropped it on his long run to the ball. However, he quickly picked up the ball and threw a strike to Remillard at third for one out and Remillard threw the ball to second to complete the double play. Gardner-Webb kept the pressure on with a single to put runners on first and second before CCU turned to Bobby Holmes out of the bullpen. The sophomore induced a poop out to end the threat.

In the ninth with one out, Simmons was hit by a pitch. Holmes got a second out before Redmond lined a two-out double to put runners on second and third. Morrison came out of the bullpen and Tyler Best reached on an infield single to score pinch runner Eric Jones and move Redmond to third. Best stole second, but Morrison ran the count full on Kunz before getting the GWU catcher to swing and miss to end the game.

Beckwith, the Big South Pitcher of the Year, improved to 10-1. The junior allowed eight hits and two runs over 7  2/3 innings. He walked one and recorded a strikeout.

For the second time this year, GWU starter Jeremy Walker (9-5) suffered a loss while pitching a complete game. He allowed eight hits and four runs with one walk and seven strikeouts.

This story was originally published May 26, 2016 at 3:45 PM with the headline "Baseball: USC eliminated from SEC tourney."