The Sarge

TOP 9 - Matt Price has the bottom of the order to face for the final three outs. Serrano Ks. Vinson pops out to second. Two quick outs. Wise falls behind quickly 0-2. And was there ever a doubt Price would get the final out? Gamecocks back to the title series.

BOTTOM 8 - Roth taps back to the mound. One down. English Ks swinging and Greiner pops out. Three more outs required from Price. Gamecocks lead 3-2.

TOP 8 - Matt Price gets Reynolds swinging on an elevated fastball. One down. Five outs remaining and the Gamecocks are in the championship series. Ficociello Ks and he didn't look very happy with the call. Looked good enough to swing at there and at least attempt to foul away. Anderson, who has had a tough go of it against South Carolina, singles through the left side. Price gets Bigham to line out to right to end the inning. Gamecocks lead 3-2.

BOTTOM 7 - Vergason up and grounds out to Carver at short. One down. Pankake and Marzilli both walk off of Suggs, who is still in there. That's eight walks for the Arkansas pitching staff. Big spot for Walker, who pops up to second base. That was a good spot for him to deliver one of those patented Walker home runs. RHP Barrett Astin, who pitched really well against the Gamecocks on Monday, in to pitch. Dantzler hits an infield single off of Astin's glove. That loads the bases for Adam Matthews - this is the third time he's been up with the bases loaded tonight. First two times didn't go very well. He walks on a full count pitch and the Gamecocks have the lead. Michael Roth pinch hitting for TJ Costen. On a pitch that gets away from the catcher, Marzilli tries to take home. He's called out on a bang-bang play to end the inning. Gamecocks lead 3-2

TOP 7 - Jake Wise, the nine-hole hitter, up to face reliever Matt Price. He's entering the game early tonight. Ray Tanner ain't messing around. Wise hits seven straight foul balls and is on the 12th pitch of the at-bat. He eventually bounces out to Pankake on the 14th pitch of the at-bat. That'll get the pitch count up. Carver grounds to Walker at first. Two down. Price gets Mahan on strikes to end the inning. Score tied 2-2.

BOTTOM 6 - Martin ahead on Suggs 3-0 in the count. Count goes full and Martin works a walk. He's run for by TJ Costen. English pops up his 2-1 bunt attempt and it's caught in foul territory. Greiner flies out to deep left but it's caught just on the edge of the track. Gonna be hard to get it out of here toinght with the wind blowing in and the the park being, well, big. TJ Costen cut down on a steal attempt with two down. Score still tied 2-2 after 6 complete.

TOP 6 - Webb Ks Anderson, which is his third strikeout of the night already. Bigham shoots a single just over Walker's glove. Serrano hits a weak grounder to second. Not nearly hard enough to think about turning two, but Vergason flips to Pankake to get the lead runner. After a wild pitch allows Anderson to take second, Webb gets a fly ball to left to end the inning. Score tied 2-2.

BOTTOM 5 - Tanner English begins the inning dropping a single to shallow center. Greiner pops out to second base. English swipes second base on a pitch out. Dude has wheels. Vergason walks on five pitches to put two on for Pankake, who now has two hits in the CWS -- he makes it three with another line drive single to center. That scores English, who had a great slide at home plate to score. Runners on first and second with one down for Marzilli. He walks. Walker and Baxendale go at it. Baxendale throws some great pitches just off the plate but Walker shows great discipline and doesn't chase. Umpire's zone is the plate and nothing off of it. Walker takes his base on six pitches and ties the game with a walk. That'll end the day for DJ Baxendale as he gives way to LHP Trent Daniel. Dantzler is first pitch swinging against Daniel and fouls out to the third baseman. RHP Colby Suggs now on the mound for Arkansas. One USC player told me on Thursday at practice that he makes Barrett Astin - who shut USC down on Wednesday - look like a Little Leaguer. That's how good Suggs is, at least in the minds of a couple of players. He's on to face Adam Matthews. He goes down looking at a 2-2 pitch that was borderline. Matthews knew he should have at least tried to foul it off. Bases left loaded. Score tied 2-2

TOP 5 - Mahan grounds out to second base to begin the inning. Reynolds hits one on the screws, but it's right at English in left. Two down. Ficociello grounds out to third. That was a good inning there for the Gamecocks and Webb. Went through the heart of the order. Arkansas leads 2-0.

BOTTOM 4 - Dantzler pops out in foul territory to the third baseman then Matthews hits a soft liner to left which was caught. Two quick outs for Baxendale. Martin up. He hits a fly ball to left to end the inning. A quick and easy one for Baxendale, who looks pretty good right now. Arkansas leads 2-0.

TOP 4 - Leadoff walk by Webb to Bigham. He's bunted up to second. Webb makes the throw to first for the out. Hogs will have two chances to knock in the game's third run with a single. Line drive single to right, so that actually won't score the run. Puts runners at the corners though with one down for nine-hole hitter Wise. Webb gets him swinging on a 1-2 pitch. Wise tried a safety squeeze on the 1-1 pitch and went right through it. Bigham scrambled back to the bag. Carver, who was 2-for-2 on the day, flies out to right to end the inning. Arkansas leads 2-0.

BOTTOM 3 - Vergason goes down on strikes to begin the inning. Someone up here utters something about having a quality at-bat. Isn't he hitting like .400 this postseason? Anyway. Pankake hits a solid single to center. I'm surprised the Arkansas centerfielder plays as deep as he does. Might be something to keep an eye on later. Hit-and-run action. Marzilli grounds towards short. Ball hit pretty weakly and Carver recovers in time to field and throw to first. Two down. Walker puts some good wood on a ball to left center but Serrano catches up to it in the gap for the final out of the inning. Arkansas leads 2-0.

TOP 3 - Jake Wise is hit in the back by a Colby Holmes fastball to lead off the inning. Carver then hits a slicing liner towards right center. Evan Marzilli gets there in time to make a sliding effort, but the ball hits off the end of his glove. It's properly ruled a double but I can guarantee you that Marz will say after the game he should have made the catch. That puts runners on second and third with no one out. Tyler Webb is warming up in the bullpen. Well, Webb is coming in. He's got to face the tough part of the Arkansas order. Mahan hits a shot but it's right at Dantzler. He looks the runner back to third and throws to first for the out. Reynolds hits a slicing liner up the right field line. Adam Matthews may have hit into a big DP but he made an very nice sliding catch right along the right field line. That saved a double and two runs. It goes for a sacrifice fly. Ficociello is put on intentionall and Anderson comes up. Webb Ks him looking to end the inning. There could be six total runs on the board right now but there are only two. Keep it close and low scoring, Gamecocks. Arkansas leads 2-0

BOTTOM 2 - Could it be one of those nights for South Carolina? Early to say that, but early breaks are going in favor of the Hogs. Kyle Martin hits one of the hardest balls he's hit all year but Bo Bigham makes a diving catch at second base for the out. English goes down swinging and Greiner pops out to left to end the inning. Arkansas leads 1-0.

TOP 2 - Holmes off to a quick start here in the second inning. Strikes out Bigham and then gets Serrano to ground out to Pankake at short. He makes a nice, strong throw across the diamond. Vinson pops out to English in shallow left. Quick inning for Holmes. He needed that one. Arkansas leads 1-0.

BOTTOM 1 - DJ Baxendale on the mound for the Razorbacks. Seems to have his fastball popping early. Hard to tell though bceause we don't have a radar gun or a great view of a TV. Yall can see pitcher locations, etc., a lot better than I can. Pankake hits a line drive, but it's just a couple of steps in for Anderson in right field. One down. Marzilli walks to put a runner on but Walker falls behind in the count 1-2. Walker, like usual, battles, fouls off a few pitches, and lines a single to center to put runners at the corners and one down. Dantzler walks to load the bases to bring up Adam Matthews with the bases chock full of Gamecocks. Matthews hits a bouncer back up the middle. Heck of a play there by Bigham charging and flipping back behind him to Carver at short who relays to first for the out. Big time double play turn by the Hogs. Good baseball by them. Tough break for the Gamecocks. Arkansas leads 1-0.

TOP 1 - Colby Holmes out to the mound looking to pitch a little bit better than he did on Monday night. I'm not sure what it was that Tim Carver just hit but it went to the right spot. Fell in behind Dantzler and in front of Pankake. Pankake tries to make a throw from deep short, but it's too late. Mahan bunts up Carver and then Reynolds drops a full count single to left field to bring home Carver for the first run of the game. He steals second. Ficociello lines out to right and then Holmes gets Anderson to K to end the inning. That one could have been worse but Hogs up one. Arkansas leads 1-0

8:45 p.m. - People keep asking me my feel and mood for this game. Honestly, I don't really know what I think. My head is telling me that Arkansas wins this game with DJ Baxendale on the mound and three studs - including Ryne Stanek - sitting there available in relief. That being said, whoever bets against the Gamecocks is an idiot. Both of these teams seem loose and relaxed in pregame. I don't expect really any nerves for either side but if there are, I can't expect any from the Gamecocks.

I like starting Kyle Martin. I like this lineup.

South Carolina

SS - Joey Pankake
CF - Evan Marzilli
1B - Christian Walker
3B - LB Dantzler
RF - Adam Matthews
DH - Kyle Martin
LF - Tanner English
C - Grayson Greiner
2B - Chase Vergason

RHP Colby Holmes

Arkansas

SS - Tim Carver
DH - Jacob Mahan
3B - Matt Reynolds
1B - Dominic Ficociello
RF - Brian Anderson
2B - Bo Bigham
LF - Joe Serrano
CF - Matt Vinson
C - Jake Wise

RHP - DJ Baxendale

South Carolina is currently on the field taking batting practice while Arkansas sits in the dugout to watch. Lineups have not yet been passed out, but we know that Colby Holmes and DJ Baxendale will go toe-to-toe on the mound.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know what this game means. A win and the Gamecocks have a chance to defend their championship. A loss and I'll be sleeping in my own bed tomorrow night. I've really grown quite fond of this Super 8 out here though.

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