Taylor's ninth-inning heroics save Gamecocks in elimination game win
The unlikeliest of heroes emerged at the most opportune of times for South Carolina Saturday.
Seldom-used sophomore catcher Hunter Taylor ripped a one-out double down the third base line to score Dom Thompson-Williams with the eventual game-winning run in the top of the ninth as the Gamecocks advanced in the NCAA Tournament with a season-saving 4-2 victory over Duke in the first elimination game of the Columbia Regional.
The Gamecocks later added a key insurance run before Duke brought the winning run to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Closer Tyler Johnson, who earned his first win in nearly two months (last was 4/10 vs. Tenn.) induced a routine grounder to shortstop Marcus Mooney, who stepped on the second base bag for the tension-releasing final out.
“We found a way to win,” Chad Holbrook said. “We didn’t play beautiful baseball by any stretch. We left a few runs out on the field. I have to try to get our guys to relax and take a deep breath and enjoy playing the game instead of playing with worry or burdens. If we do, we have a chance to get back into this thing.”
The Gamecocks advance to play Sunday at noon against the loser of Saturday night’s winner bracket game between UNCW and Rhode Island, upset winners over the Gamecocks Friday night.
Freshman Adam Hill (6-0, 3.64 ERA, 66 K in 59.1 IP) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Gamecocks.
USC must win two games on Sunday (noon and 6 p.m.) and a winner-take-all game Monday night to advance to the Super Regionals against the winner of the Clemson Regional for the right to go to Omaha for the College World Series.
“We’ll try to recover as best we can and get ready to play tomorrow,” Holbrook said. “We have to worry about the first game first and try to win that one. There is no tomorrow. Everybody is on call.”
Taylor’s game-winning two-bagger was just his second extra base hit and second RBI of the season in 19 at-bats. After his clutch hit, the Gamecocks added another run on a bases-loaded wild pitch.
“I’m so proud of Hunter Taylor,” Holbrook said. “He has been a great teammate to all of our players in the locker room. If anybody in that locker room has reason to grip about playing time, it would be him. But he caught every bullpen and had the right attitude. He deserved to get the game-winning hit in a NCAA Tournament game.”
Taylor started at catcher for the fourth time this season (first since April 30) when John Jones was benched due to being tardy for the pre-game meal.
Taylor’s double was the last of several pivotal moments in the contest. Another came in the bottom of the fourth when reliever Josh Reagan replaced starter Braden Webb in the middle of a count (3-0) with two runners already on base.
Reagan escaped a bases-loaded, no out jam with a strikeout, forceout at home and a popup to Taylor in front of home plate.
Reagan tossed 4.2 innings, matching his March 6 appearance at Clemson for his longest outing of the season. He threw 58 pitches, second most in a single game for the southpaw in 2016.
“He has a calm demeanor,” Holbrook said. “The stickier the situation the better he pitches a lot of times. He throws his off-speed pitches for strikes and that is key in those situations. He is a cool customer. I love giving him the ball in those situations. He can get a double play or a punch out or some weak swings, which is what he did.”
Webb, who fanned five of the 10 Duke batters he faced, hit the leadoff batter and walked the second before throwing three straight balls to the third Duke batter. Pitching coach Jerry Meyers marched out of the dugout and promptly signaled for Reagan.
His 3.0-plus inning stint was Webb’s second shortest of the season.
“We felt we had to go to (Reagan) in that spot,” Holbrook said. “If we had waited a couple more batters, the game could have been out of hand. It might put us in a pinch tomorrow or the next day, but it certainly enabled us to win this game today.”
Because Webb threw just 54 pitches, Holbrook hinted he could be available for a winner-take-all game Monday if the Gamecocks reach that point.
Reagan allowed just one run on a long solo homer by Justin Bellinger in the sixth. Three Gamecocks pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts, four by Reagan.
“Josh was terrific out of the bullpen and kept them at bay,” Holbrook said. “The story of the game was getting out of that bases-loaded, nobody out jam. That was the ballgame right there as far as allowing us to win. It was a big moment. His work enabled us to win this game, no doubt about it.”
Duke starter Trent Swart threw 118 pitches in 8-plus innings, exiting when Thompson-Williams singled through the middle to put the all-important leadoff batter on base. Madison Stokes’ sacrifice bunt off reliever Mitch Stallings set the stage for Taylor’ heroics.
“I told (Taylor) in the on-deck circle that I’m going to bunt Madison and you’re going to get the game-winning hit,” Holbrook said. “I just had that feeling he was due to have something good happen to him. He caught his rear end off too. He showed today how good he is and how valuable he is to our team.”
Ignoring the sweltering heat, Swart, a fifth-year senior, lasted into the ninth inning for the first time in four years.
After surrendering single runs in the first and third innings (RBI singles by Bride and Mooney), Swart retired 11 straight Gamecock batters until DTW’s leadoff single in the top of the ninth.
“We had a great approach against (Swart) early, but like last night we abandoned it,” Holbrook said. “You had to make him throw his off-speed pitches for strikes. We did that early in the game until getting away from it later in the game. He got a rhythm. We have keep our plan of attack intact for nine innings.”
A bizarre scenario unfolded in the top of the fifth when Holbrook had Alex Destino attempt to bunt with runners at first and second with no outs even though Destino had zero sacrifice bunt during the season.
“Destino is actually one of our better bunters even though I haven’t asked him to bunt all year,” Holbrook said. “I saw his first two at-bats against (Swart) and he was swinging at balls that weren’t even close. I don’t think he was picking up the off-speed pitch very well. No doubt in my mind a bunt was the right play there. He just popped it up.”
Destino popped up to the pitcher. Moments later, Bride grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
LINESCORE
USC (43-16) – 110 000 002 = 4-10-1
DUK (33-24) – 001 001 000 = 2-5-0
WP – Tyler Johnson (2-2)
LP – Trent Swart (4-3)
SV – None
HR – DUK, Justin Bellinger (6th, none on)
RBI – Bride (1), Mooney (1), Taylor (1)
LOB – USC 7, Duke 9
A – 5,051
TIME – 3:13
Gamecock Pitchers: Braden Webb (3.0 IP, 54 pitches), Josh Reagan (4.2 IP, 58 pitches), Tyler Johnson (1.1 IP, 18 pitches)
HOW THE RUNS SCORED:
USC 1st - Cone singled to left, Hopkins sacrificed, Destino grounded to second, Bride singled to third (RBI), DTW lined to center. 1 RUN, 2 HITS (USC 1-0).
USC 2nd - Stokes grounded to shortstop, Taylor walked, Tolbert doubled to left, Mooney singled to right (RBI), Cone grounded into 6-4-3 double play. 1 RUN, 2 HITS (USC 2-0)
DUK 3rd – Kone struck out looking, Miller singled to center, Miller advanced to third on throwing error by pitcher (E1) on failed pickoff attempt, Herron hit sacrifice fly to left (RBI), Proctor struck out swinging and thrown out at first (2-3). 1 RUN, 1 HIT (USC 2-1).
DUK 6th – Bellinger homered to right (RBI), Zyla flied to center, Perez hit by pitch, Dougherty flied to left, Kone lined out to center. 1 RUN, 1 HIT (TIED 2-2).
USC 9th – DTW singled to center, Stokes sacrificed (0, Taylor doubled down third base line (RBI), Scolamiero pinch-ran for Taylor), Tolbert hit by pitch, Mooney singled to third (bunt) and Scolamiero thrown out at home (5-2), Cone walked, Tolbert scored on wild pitch (Run), Hopkins grounded to second. 2 RUNS, 3 HITS (USC 4-2).
