Well, everyone knew South Carolina's NCAA Tournament winning streak was going to end sometime. Sometime turned out to be Monday night, when Arkansas handed the Gamecocks a 2-1 defeat in the second round of the College World Series.
USC had won 22 consecutive NCAA Tournament games - including 12 straight in Omaha - since losing to Oklahoma in the first round of the 2010 CWS.
Arkansas got its leadoff man on in the first four innings and brought two of them around to score. USC got its leadoff man on base once, when Chase Vergason walked to lead off the fifth. He later scored the Gamecocks' run.
The Gamecocks were held to four hits and were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Evan Marzilli singled and Christian Walker walked against Razorbacks starter Ryne Stanek with one out in the first, but Stanek induced groundouts from LB Dantzler and Adam Matthews.
Matthews had a one-out double in the fourth and went to third on a groundout. I thought the Razorbacks were playing too far back at the corners and susceptible to a bunt by the speedy Tanner English. The freshman left fielder was thinking the same thing. He pushed a bunt down the first-base line. If he had gotten it a yard or two more toward second base, he likely would have had a hit and an RBI. Instead, standout first baseman Dominic Ficociello of the Razorbacks made a dandy play and was able to tag English for the final out.
Marzilli, who had two of the Gamecocks' four hits, tripled to score Vergason in the fifth inning. It appeared to me the ball just kept carrying away from Hogs center fielder Matt Vinson. Someone else in the press box said he thought Vinson may have taken an initial step in. Regardless, the play extended USC's streak of games without being shut out to 101.
Stanek, who went the first six innings, has allowed one run or less in 10 of his 17 starts this seson.
I found it a little curious that Gamecocks coach Ray Tanner used Michael Roth instead of Kyle Martin as a pinch-hitter in the seventh. Tanner tends to turn to veterans to make plays in key situations, but Roth was making just his 22nd plate appearance of the season and had a .235 batting average. Martin, a freshman from Wade Hampton High, is hitting .323 and has 77 plate appearances.
Perhaps Tanner felt Martin might be overmatched against Razorbacks closer Barrett Astin or that the CWS stage might be more than Martin was ready to handle at that point.
I'm not second-guessing. Tanner has won two national championships. The only baseball games I've ever won were in Strat-O-Matic.
Dantzler, who had a two-out double in the eighth, was the only batter to reach base against Astin.
USC had been 25-0 when holding opponents to two runs or less in a game.
There were some bright spots for the Gamecocks:
* Tyler Webb was brilliant for 5 1/3 innings in relief of starter Colby Holmes, scattering two hits and a walk..
* English made a couple of nice catches in left field. He'll likely be the Gamecocks' center fielder next season if Marzilli signs a pro contract as expected.
* Dantzler was up to the challenge on a couple of tough plays at third.
* Joey Pankake continues to show he has the skills to be a top-flight college shortstop.
Now, USC must beat Kent State Wednesday, then beat Arkansas Thursday and Friday to reach the CWS title round. The Gamecocks won three games in three days in 2010, so some of the veteran players can share that with the younger players.
Kent State won't be a pushover. The Flashes eliminated national No. 1 seed Florida earlier Monday, getting out of a bases-loaded ninth-inning situation for a 5-4 victory.
Their road to Omaha included a 21-inning victory over Kentucky in a regional and a Super Regional victory at Oregon.
I'm guessing Grayson Greiner, who hasn't started the last seven games because of a knee injury, will be in the lineup at catcher. The Gamecocks' offense needs every weapon it can use, and Greiner has an offensive edge over Rosenberg.
No one has staked a solid claim on the designated hitter spot, so Tanner may go with whoever looks best at Tuesday's workout - or he may go with a hunch. His hunches have paid off often this season.
The Gamecocks also will need to get solid pitching in order to get three wins in three days. The career-long relief outing by Webb on Monday likely makes him a long-shot candidate to face a batter or two on Thursday - at the earliest.
Immediately after Monday's game Tanner said he wasn't sure who would be the starting pitcher against Kent State. Press box pundits were split between Roth and freshman left-hander Jordan Montgomery.
Colby Holmes, Monday's starter, threw 53 pitches in 3 2/3 innings. Perhaps he could be available if the Gamecocks win twice to force a Friday game against Arkansas.
But, considering the Gamecocks are two wins away from even considering that possibility, there's no need to look that far ahead yet.
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