Gamecock Digest

Gamecocks Eliminated: South Carolina Falls to James Madison in NCAA Baseball Tournament

Matt Peavy

It’s official, the South Carolina Gamecocks have been eliminated from the NCAA Baseball Tournament. After edging out James Madison 9-8 on Friday, then dropping their next game to North Carolina State, the Gamecocks just couldn’t get the bats going in a rematch with James Madison.

Despite a strong performance from South Carolina's pitching staff, who allowed only five hits, James Madison made those hits count. The game's pivotal moments came from James Madison 2nd baseman Mike Mancini, who went 2-4 with two solo home runs, scoring the game's only runs. Mancini's first home run came in the third inning, giving James Madison an early lead, and his second in the seventh inning provided insurance.

The Gamecocks had opportunities to score, particularly in the fifth and eighth innings, but stellar defensive plays by James Madison's infield stifled any momentum. “We just couldn’t get the big hit when we needed it,” South Carolina head coach Mark Kingston said. “Their pitcher did a great job keeping us off balance.”

James Madison head coach Marlin Ikenberry praised Mancini’s performance: “Mike came through for us in a big way. Those home runs were clutch, and our defense backed it up all the way.”

This loss marks the end of South Carolina’s tournament run, a disappointing finish for a team with high hopes coming into the postseason. South Carolina will now look to regroup and prepare for next season, focusing on building a team to make a deeper run in next year’s tournament.

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Matt Peavy
MATT PEAVY

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