The South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the Florida Gators 7-3 in the opening round of the College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday night.
The Gators, who are the number one national seed at the NCAA Tournament, jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning on a Preston Tucker double. Nolan Fontana and Justin Shafer scored.
The Gamecocks rallied for five runs in the top of the fifth. Sophomore Erik Payne stroked a three-run triple that plated Adam Matthews, Christian Walker and Evan Marzilli to give South Carolina a 3-2 lead. LB Dantzler followed with an RBI double to score Payne. Then, Chase Vergason singled home Dantzler to complete the uprising, and make it 5-2 Gamecocks.
Florida battled back for a run in the bottom of the fifth. But the Gamecocks, who pounded out twelve hits, added two more runs in the ninth. Walker scored on a wild pitch. Later, Chase Vergason reached on a throwing error, Dantzler touched the dish to complete the scoring. The Gators committed three errors in the contest.
Gators starting pitcher Brian Johnson lasted only four innings. He was tagged for five earned runs on eight hits and was the losing pitcher.
South Carolina starting pitcher Michael Roth held Florida to three runs over six and one-third innings of work to pick up the win. Roth struck out three and walked three. Tyler Webb and Matt Price shutout the Gators the rest of the way in relief.
Murrells Inlet native Tanner English, who attended St. James High, had two hits in three at bats for the Gamecocks. He also had a sacrifice bunt, walked and stole a base.
The Gamecocks have now won a record 22 consecutive NCAA Tournament games, twelve straight at Omaha. They will face the Arkansas Razorbacks on Monday at 9 p.m. in a winner's bracket game. Florida will play Kent State in an elimination game scheduled for Monday at 5 p.m. Arkansas beat Kent State 8-1 in the opening round.
