* Everything that South Carolina needed to happen didn't happen Friday night and the Gamecocks now face an uphill climb to avoid the single-elimination first round of next week's Southeastern Conference Tournament in Hoover, Ala.
The Gamecocks gave up four first-inning runs and never recovered against Vanderbilt, losing 9-3. That means Saturday's 3 p.m. series finale will determine the second-place team in the SEC East and could give the winner a leg up for a possible third national seed from the SEC for the NCAA Tournament if the league is awarded one.
While South Carolina was losing, both LSU and Mississippi State were winning. Both schools could finish with better records than USC - even if the Gamecocks win Saturday - by completing series sweeps at Auburn and Alabama, respectively, on Saturday.
If the Gamecocks lose Saturday, they'll finish sixth in the overall standings and be locked into Tuesday's 10:30 a.m. tournament opener against the No. 11 team, currently Tennessee. That game's winner moves into the double-elimination portion tournament. The loser goes home.
On a minor positive note, because Friday's game got out of hand in the middle innings, coach Chad Holbrook got a chance to rest some of his regulars for a few innings and to save his top-line relievers for use Saturday if needed.
* Just when it appears Clemson has righted things, the Tigers suffer another clunker like Friday night's 3-1 loss to Boston College.
Junior right-hander Daniel Gossett pitched well, even if it wasn't quite to his recent level. He allowed five hits and three runs in seven innings.
The problem was Clemson was held to two hits and an an unearned run by Andrew Chin. I still think Clemson will get an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, but the Tigers would help their chances by winning the series finale on Saturday.
By my figuring, the Tigers must win Saturday to avoid the ACC's single-elimination play-in round.
* Furman couldn't hold an early lead and lost to Appalachian State, 11-7, in the opener of a doubleheader, but won the nightcap 9-2 behind a pair of home runs by Chris Ohmstede.
If Furman can win the series finale on Saturday, it will finish fifth in the Southern Conference and avoid the single-elimination first round of the league tournament in Charleston next week. If the Paladins lose, they'll be in a play-in game and could finish as low as eighth in the standings.
* Wofford did't get a hit until the ninth inning of its 2-0 loss to Samford Friday night. If the Terriers can sweep Samford in Saturday's doubleheader, they, too can avoid the first round. If they don't sweep, they'll be playing a first-round game, too.
* The Citadel rallied to beat UNC Greensboro, 7-5, but already is assured of finishing in last place in the SoCon. Right now they're playing to gain momentum heading into the tournament.
* The Big South Division's South Division race is going down to the last day. Winthrop won the opener of its split doubleheader, 4-3, and could have wrapped up the division title by taking the nightcap. Instead the Lancers won, 10-6, to drop the Eagles back to 13-13 in league play.
The Eagles can clinch the division title with a win in the series finale on Saturday. A Winthrop loss would open the door for either Coastal Carolina or Charleston Southern to win the division.
Coastal lost to Campbell 7-4, to fall to 12-13 in the conference with one game left. Charleston Southern, lost to VMI, 7-6, to drop to 11-13 with a doubleheader remaining today. If Winthrop loses to finish 13-14, the Chanticleers and Buccaneers could move past them by finishing 13-13.
Charleston Southern's only route to the division title is for the Buccaneers to sweep Saturday while both Coastal Carolina and Winthrop lose. If Coastal and CSU finish tied, the Chanticleers get the tiebreaker because of a 2-1 head-to-head record.
* College of Charleston needed 23 innings to beat William & Mary, 3-2, and pull within a half-game of the Tribe entering the final day of the Colonial Athletic Association.
CofC allowed a run in the first inning and tied the score in the seventh. Each team scored a run in the 20th before the Cougars won it. Because the game lasted six hours, officials agreed to move a scheduled second game back to Saturday.
The Cougars must beat W&M twice - or win one game and have a second rained out - on Saturday to take the CAA regular-season title.
* Lander couldn't preserve a big early lead but finally put away USC Aiken, 12-8 in 10 innings, in the NCAA Division II playoffs' Southeast regional. The Bearcats are now two wins away from making it to the DII World Series in Cary, N.C.
Lander faces Columbus State - which finished one game behind the Bearcats in the Peach Belt Conference standings - at noon Saturday and can advance to the championship round with a win then. if the Bearcats lose, they'd play again at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
USC Aiken had a dandy season end with Friday's loss.
* Region 10 is consistently one of the better regions in the National Junior College Athletic Association, so it wasn't a real surprise that both Spartanburg Methodist and host USC Sumter won in the first round of the Eastern District Tournament at Riley Park in Sumter.
The Pioneers, bidding to return to the Junior College World Series in Grand Junction, Colo., edged Harford (Md.) CC, 4-2, while the Fire Ants rolled past ASA (N.Y.). SMC and Sumter play at noon Saturday. The winner moves into Sunday's championship round, while the loser plays a second game at 6 p.m. Saturday for a chance at a rematch.
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