Baseball Bests Arkansas, Forces Deciding Third Game in Fayetteville Super Regional
June 10, 2018
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of South Carolina baseball team scored five runs in the fifth inning, four on one swing of the bat from LT Tolbert, on its way to an 8-5 win over No. 5 Arkansas Sunday afternoon (June 10), forcing a deciding game three of the 2018 Fayetteville Super Regional. Game three will take place on Monday night (June 11) at 6 p.m. CDT (7 p.m. EDT).
Carolina scored a run in the bottom of the first as Justin Row brought in Carlos Cortes with a single to left. Arkansas answered in the third, scoring an unearned run on a throwing error by Row, but Carolina immediately answered in the bottom of the third as Row homered to left, his seventh of the year.
Cortes led off the fifth with a single to right. After a fly out, Jonah Bride and Row both walked, loading the bases. Tolbert then took a 1-1 pitch from Jake Reindl over the fence in right, giving the Gamecocks a 6-1 lead. Hunter Taylor then belted a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left, putting the Gamecocks up six runs.
Carson Shaddy brought Arkansas to 7-3 in the sixth after a two-run home run. The Gamecocks scored their final run in the sixth as Stokes scored on a wild pitch. Arkansas plated a run in both the seventh and eighth frames, but closer Sawyer Bridges got a flyout to left to end the game and even the series.
Cody Morris earned the win on the mound, striking out four and allowing four hits and an unearned run in five innings of work. Bridges picked up his fifth save of the season, striking out four in 3.1 innings of relief.
Cortes had three hits to pace the Carolina offense. Row added two hits, two RBI and two runs scored, while Tolbert had the four RBI on the grand slam.
GAMECHANGER
Carolina loaded the bases in the fifth when Arkansas went to reliever Jake Reindl. Tolbert then took a 1-1 pitch over the fence for a grand slam, his second of the season against the Razorbacks.
KEY STAT
Cody Morris is 3-0 with a 0.68 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 26.1 innings pitched in his last four starts.
NOTABLE
- South Carolina is now 18-14 all-time in Super Regional action.
- Carolina will play a deciding third game in a Super Regional for the seventh time in school history.
- It is the fourth time Carolina has forced a deciding third game in a Super Regional. The Gamecocks did it in 2001, 2007 and 2013.
- Carolina has three grand slams on the season. Tolbert had two of them and they have both come against Arkansas.
- Cortes is now hitting .500 (11-for-22) with seven runs scored in the NCAA Tournament.
- Bridges went a career high 3.1 innings pitched in the win. His previous career high was 3.0 at Kentucky on April 7.
UP NEXT
South Carolina and Arkansas will play game three of the Fayetteville Super Regional Monday night (June 11) at 7 p.m. Eastern (6 p.m. Central). The game will be televised on the ESPN family of networks.
