June 1, 2008
Raleigh, N.C. – Reese Havens’ two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted South Carolina to a 7-5 win over James Madison in NCAA Regional action in Raleigh, N.C. on Sunday afternoon. The win eliminates JMU from the tournament and puts the Gamecocks in a game with NC State later this evening with first pitch scheduled for 6 pm at Doak Field. Carolina is now 40-22 on the year. The 40-win total marks the ninth straight season that the Gamecocks have recorded 40-plus victories, the only SEC school to accomplish the feat from 2000-08. James Madison’s season ends with a 39-19 record.
The ninth inning was full of dramatics before Havens’ home run as the Gamecocks entered the frame with a 5-3 lead. JMU would however tie the game in the ninth inning scoring both runs with two outs on a RBI double from Chris Johnson. The Dukes got a one-out single from Matt Browning and a single with two outs by Lee Bujakowski to set the stage for Johnson. Down to his final strike against Gamecock reliever Mike Cisco, Johnson knocked a double into right center that scored both Browning and Bujakowski and tied the game at five apiece. Cisco battled to get out of the inning though as he induced David Herbek into a line out to Havens at shortstop to preserve the tie and set up the heroic bottom of the ninth. Scott Wingo reached base to lead off with a single to left field. Havens worked JMU reliever Kyle Hoffman to a full count before launching the game-winning homer to right field and putting the Gamecocks into the next game.
Hoffman suffered the loss for JMU and is now 6-5 on the year. He allowed three runs on four hits in 2.2 innings of work. Cisco earned the win out of the bullpen and is 6-3 on the year.
South Carolina received a solid start from sophomore right-hander Blake Cooper, who worked into the ninth inning and finished allowing just four runs, one earned, on seven hits with a career-high nine strikeouts and no walks.
Cooper was able to work with a lead throughout the game as Justin Smoak gave South Carolina a 2-0 edge in the bottom of the first on a two-run homer off of James Madison starter Alex Valadja. With one out and Havens on a second base, Smoak drove a 2-2 offering from Valadja to put the Gamecocks on top by a pair of runs.
The Gamecocks added to the lead with a run in the second inning with Scott Wingo driving in a run on a sacrifice fly RBI to score Andrew Crisp. Smoak continued to swing the hot bat in the third inning as he hit his second home run of the game off a 3-2 pitch from Valadja to give South Carolina a four-run edge.
Smoak now has 23 homers on the year and 62 career homers. His career total now puts him at fifth on the SEC All-Time career list. His 23 homers this year also ties him for the second on the single-season list at Carolina. He also now has 246 career hits that moves him past Hank Small for seventh place on the USC career list.
James Madison cut into the Carolina lead though in the fourth inning with three unearned runs and three two-out RBI hits against Cooper. JMU caught a break to open the fourth as Joe Lake reached base on a fielding error by Havens at short. With two outs and Lake on second base, the Dukes strung together three consecutive hits with Matt Browning recording a RBI single, Lee Bujakowski doubling to left field to score a run and McKinnon Langston lacing a RBI base hit to bring JMU within a run. South Carolina extended the lead back to two runs in the seventh inning. Scott Wingo led off with a single and was sacrificed over by Havens. Wingo would then score on a RBI base hit from Whit Merrifield to give the Gamecocks a 5-3 cushion.
Each team had nine hits on the afternoon. Smoak and Wingo led Carolina with two apiece. Browning and Langston led the Dukes with two apiece as well.
