University of South Carolina coach Ray Tanner has had a knack for making the right strategic moves -- from lineup adjustments to pinch-hitting -- this season and he did it again Friday night at the College World Series.
Tanner chose sophomore left-hander Michael Roth as the starter against Clemson in an elimination game for USC. Roth has been the Gamecocks' top left-hander out of the bullpen, serving in both spot and long relief roles. He had pitched 26 1/3 innings prior to Friday.
Roth responded with a three-hit complete game as the Gamecocks forced a decisive game with the Tigers at 7 p.m. Saturday. The winner will play either TCU or UCLA for the CWS title in a best-of-three series beginning Monday.
It should rank as one of the top postseason performances ever by a state player. I remember infielder Bob Kellett pitching a complete game in an NCAA regional as Furman eliminated South Carolina in 1976. Roth's performance might not have been as unexpected as Kellett's, but it was every bit as dramatic.
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