That was the case Thursday afternoon when South Carolina fell 4-3 in 10 innings to one-seeded Vanderbilt in and were subsequently eliminated from the SEC Tournament without winning a game. With Vanderbilt baserunners on first and second and no outs in the second inning, USC starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery failed to make a routine play on Commodore DH Kyle Smith’s popped-up bunt – barehanding the ball off of the infield turf and turning to fling the ball high above first baseman LB Dantzler’s head. The ball would soar toward the stands in foul territory behind left base and carom back toward right field as two runs scored.

“I just sailed the throw,” said Montgomery. “I should make that play 10 out of 10 times.”

Smith would score Vanderbilt’s third run of the inning off a sac fly from John Norwood two batters later, and South Carolina never fully recovered.

“We gave them three runs there because we couldn’t field a bunt.” said USC head coach Chad Holbrook. “That was the difference in the game. If we can field that bunt there we probably win in nine [innings]. We’ve got to make those plays.”

Facing the nation’s top-ranked team in the loser’s bracket of the SEC Tournament, the odds were never with South Carolina. But the Gamecocks fought and clawed their way back to a tie over the next five innings into the seventh.

With the bases loaded and just one out in the top of the third, South Carolina plated a run when catcher Grayson Greiner stroked a grounder to Commodore third baseman Xavier Turner. Turner stepped on third base for the inning’s second out, but Greiner legged out his cross-diamond throw to first, preventing an inning-ending double play and allowing USC freshman second baseman Max Schrock to scored from third.

Ziomek didn’t last as long against USC as he did earlier this month in Carolina Stadium.

The Gamecocks cut the Vanderbilt lead again in the sixth – this time to 3-2 – when Schrock punched a grounded RBI single up the middle off of Commodore starting pitcher Kevin Ziomek and into center field, scoring Tanner English from third and effectively ending Ziomek’s day at 5.2 innings. LB Dantzler would tie the score at three with one swing of the bat in the seventh, sending a fastball from Vanderbilt reliever Carson Fulmer over the right field wall for a solo shot.

After the blunder in the second, South Carolina continued to keep Vanderbilt off of the scoreboard, with Jordan Montgomery settling in with a strong performance into the eighth. Montgomery would get the no-decision, despite going 7.2 innings and only allowing three runs on five hits and two walks and striking out eight batters. In one 21-batter stretch, Montgomery retired 18 batters and surrendered just one hit.

“I felt like I had good stuff today,” Montgomery said. “I was just trying to pound the zone and eat up innings to give our hitters zeroes on the board so they could try and tie it up.”

The deadlock continued into the tenth inning, when Vanderbilt first baseman Conrad Gregor delivered a walk-off RBI single off of USC closer Tyler Webb that dribbled into right field and scored Tony Kemp from third.

“I thought through nine innings it was a terrific game,” Holbrook said of his team’s performance. “I felt good about the way our guys played and competed against a terrific pitcher.”

Just as was the case in the SEC Tournament opener Wednesday night against Mississippi State, South Carolina was plagued by its inability to convert scoring chances into runs. The Gamecocks outhit the Commodores 11-9 but stranded 13 baserunners – eight of them in scoring position.

“Today it seemed like we’d get guys on base with no outs or one outs and we just couldn’t get them in,” said Greiner. “Ziomek’s an amazing pitcher as well as Fulmer. We took good swings on both of them but we just couldn’t get that big hit with two outs and a man in scoring position. They’re a great team, and if you can’t get big hits it’s hard to beat a team like that.”

“Same deal,” added an obviously frustrated LB Dantzler moments later.

After dropping a the last regular season series to Mississippi State last weekend, South Carolina traveled to Hoover, Ala. needing to win the SEC Tournament Championship – and some outside help – to have a shot at one of the eight national seeds. The Gamecocks will leave unsure of whether they’ve done enough to make Columbia one of the sixteen Regional sites for the NCAA Tournament.

“I’m hopeful,” Holbrook said. “I feel decent about it. There’s a lot of teams with pretty darn good resumes across the country. I think we’re right in the mix. I don’t think our RPI’s going to go down much. We did have a good regular season in which we finished in the top four in the league, and our RPI will surely be in the top 13 or 14. You would think we would have a pretty good chance to host.”

USC will use the upcoming week to prepare for the Regional, wherever it may be. Holbrook said his team would practice often in their week off, predicting a few two-a-days in the near future. He also said there would be a few intrasquad scrimmages mixed throughout the week.

“Fortunately we have a week to get back to practice and get home and get some rest and get ready,” Dantzler said. “You never want to come here and go two and out, but we haven’t been successful here since 2004 maybe, so we’re not going to let it get to us…I don’t think it’s going to affect how we play in the regional.”

“We’re going to work hard these next several days prior to NCAA Tournament play to get better as a team,” Holbrook said. “A lot of our guys in that dugout have seen us not play well here and have the time of their life in NCAA postseason play. They’ll have hope and confidence because of that…The teams that are playing their best whether they’re playing at home or on the road will end up in Omaha, and if we play our best we’ve got a shot at that.”

Injury note: Max Schrock suffered a concussion on the last play of the game during a collision with a Vanderbilt baserunner. The coaching staff hopes he’ll start feeling better within the next two days or so, though he will likely take the whole week off from practice.

Did we just watch Carolina play themselves out of a Regional in Columbia?

I think it’s safe to say that this isn’t what any of us wanted, but probably what a lot of us expected. Every Gamecock fan dreamed of watching Carolina make a blitzkrieg through the SEC Tournament field to secure a top-8 national seed. But now the nightmare of waiting anxiously to see if the Gamecocks have done enough to secure a regional host site begins. It’ll be an agonizing three days of checking every website’s regional projections leading up to Sunday’s announcement.

Chad Holbrook’s press conference talked me off the ledge a bit personally. He explained that both losses in Hoover came to higher teams in the RPI, that Carolina’s final RPI would be around No. 13 or 14, and that the entire body of work during a regular season that included 39 wins would, in his mind, be deemed worthy of a Regional host site by the selection committee. He also brought up a great point in answering the question, however. “I’m concerned with playing better rather than hosting,” he said. And he’s right. Playing the best baseball of the season is the most important goal right now, not where the games are played. The Gamecocks went on the road to Conway in 2010 en route to their first title. They can do it again if they have to.

In a vacuum, this loss actually wasn’t that bad

Montgomery pitched brilliantly in the loss, earning a no decision by allowing no earned runs on five hits in 7.2 innings

As Gamecocks, we’re used to beating every team we face to a pulp. But when you step back and think about it, there’s no reason to hang your head at taking the top team in the country to extra innings on a neutral field. I had the thought during the game that today’s contest reminded me of so many that I’ve watched the past four seasons – Carolina would face off against a team that many considered superior, make enough plays to hang around, and finally push through in the late innings. The only difference today was that the Gamecocks just weren’t able to get the one clutch hit they needed.

It was strange to see South Carolina become the team whose crucial defensive blunder made the difference in the game, something that seems to happen to Carolina’s opponents more often than not. Jordan Montgomery fielded a sacrifice bunt with runners on first and second and threw high to first base, allowing both runners to score on the play and a third unearned run to come in later in the inning. “We gave them three runs because we couldn’t field a bunt,” said Holbrook. “If we can field that bunt there we probably win in nine innings.”

“I just sailed the throw,” added Montgomery. “That’s a play I should make ten out of ten times.”

Defensive blunders aside, there were many things Carolina did well in this game. Vanderbilt starting pitcher Kevin Ziomek came out and aggressively pounded the strike zone. Gamecock hitters matched him stride for stride, fouling off tough pitches and working deep into the count while also turning on hittable pitches when they came early in at-bats. They chased him with two outs in the sixth inning after smacking eight hits and plating a pair of runs. And yes, a copious amount of players were left stranded on the basepaths, 13 in all. But that’s more of a reflection of an inability to get a big hit in the clutch rather than a poor plate approach.

Our bullpen strategy was pretty confounding

Let me start by saying that for nearly two decades now, Jerry Meyers has proven himself to be among the best coaches in all of college baseball. He was just a little hard to figure out this afternoon.

After a two-out single and a stolen base in the bottom of the eighth with the score tied at three, Jordan Montgomery intentionally walked Conrad Gregor. Right-handed hitting Zander Wiel was announced as a pinch hitter for lefty Kyle Smith in the designated hitter position. Immediately after he was announced, Meyers popped out of the dugout to call for right-handed pitcher Colby Holmes. Because Wiel had been announced, he was officially in the lineup and could not be removed for original DH, lefty Kyle Smith. So Tim Corbin was had to go to his bench again and use left-hander Rhett Wiseman to get the lefty-righty matchup he wanted. It was a cat-and-mouse game that Meyers won as he forced Corbin to burn through his bench and got a strikeout in the process.

That brilliant coaching move aside, using Holmes and Patrick Sullivan at all was a bit of a head-scratcher. As great as Colby Holmes has been in the past, he’s labored so much this season. And Sullivan is typically extremely ineffective against top-drawer competition. I understand the desire to create lefty-lefty and righty-righty matchups as much as possible, but I’d rather see another team beat us when our best pitchers are on the mound than put themselves in position to win against guys that have struggled all season.

And on that note, Adam Westmoreland deserves better than he got in Hoover. He’s on the hook for the loss in both games, including today’s when he threw a grand total of two pitches. His first was an inning-ending double play in the ninth, his second was a single to a guy who was batting .406 coming into today’s game, had yet to record a hit, and ended up scoring the winning run. It’s too bad he’s the guy that takes the loss in this one.

We’ll be fine moving forward

This is not a doom-and-gloom scenario. It’s nice to be in a little more comfortable position heading into the NCAA Tournament, but as we’ve said many times, you don’t always have to feel comfortable entering the postseason to be a champion coming out. And despite all the Ray Tanner nostalgia many people are undoubtedly feeling right now, Chad Holbrook knows what he’s doing. Remember, he was regarded by many as the final missing piece of the puzzle in Columbia, taking a team that had been agonizingly short of a title so many times before to two consecutive national championships. This guy knows how to coach, he knows how to recruit, he knows how to motivate his players, and he will have them ready to play next weekend.

Middle innings are the key

It seems almost silly to talk about places where a 48-8 team is vulnerable, but the middle innings are the place where South Carolina can press its advantage. That’s where the Gamecocks do the bulk of their damage, scoring a combined 89 runs on the season in the fifth and sixth innings while allowing 37. This suggests that the Gamecocks do their best offensive work in each batter’s third trip to the plate against the opposing starting pitcher. It’s also tends to foreshadow success – USC has compiled a 33-3 record when leading after six innings.

Vanderbilt’s weakness is notching come-from-behind victories. When trailing after six innings, the Commodores are just 2-6. That record falls to 0-7 when trailing after the seventh and eighth innings. South Carolina needs to work deep into the count against Vanderbilt starter Kevin Ziomek to be better prepared for the crucial middle innings.

Jordan Montgomery vs. Vandy

Montgomery has made three appearances against the Commodores in his career. One year today, he earned a no-decision after giving up a run in five innings of work, walking two and striking out five, in a 3-2 Gamecock loss in the opening game of the SEC Tournament. He also earned a win in relief during the rubber game of last year’s series in Nashville, pitching the 12th and 13th innings and notching three strikeouts.

This season’s outing against Vanderbilt in Columbia was one to forget. In what proved to be the final game of a rain-shortened series, Montgomery allowed four runs on six hits in just 2.2 innings pitched, failing to record a strikeout for the first and only Ftime in his Gamecock career.

Good performances vs. Vandy

Even though the Vanderbilt series ended poorly, a few Gamecocks had memorable series. LB Dantzler is batting .429 against Commodore pitching this season, and Kyle Martin added a solo home run in one of his three at-bats to record a slugging percentage of 1.333.

Random nuggets

• Vanderbilt has yet to win a game this season on a neutral field (OK, so they’re 0-1, and the loss was yesterday against Texas A&M. But it’s something).
• When scoring one run or less, Vanderbilt is 0-4.
• The Commodores have yet to play a team ranked in the top ten this season.
• South Carolina’s series win in Nashville from March 30-April 1, 2012 marks the last time Vanderbilt lost a conference series at home.
• Vanderbilt leads the SEC in nearly every major offensive category. For a full listing, check out our live game updates post.
• Commodore pitchers have given up 225 walks this season, over four per game, the second-highest total in the conference.
• Carolina is 13-3 when scoring in the first inning, 25-6 when scoring first, and 28-4 when out-hitting their opponent.
• The Gamecocks have won in eight of the 10 games Jordan Montgomery has started.

Photo Credit: Gamecocks Online

Game Updates

10th inning:

Top 10th - Sean Sullivan lays down a leadoff bunt, but Vandy catcher Spencer Navin scoops it up and fires to first for the first out. Carson Fulmer gets Tanner English swinging, then TJ Costen looking to send us to the bottom of the frame.

Note: A right-handed reliever comes on in the middle innings and shuts down the Gamecocks rest of the way, all while USC blows every scoring chance available. Sound familiar?

Bottom 10th – The top of Vandy’s lineup swings around to face Westmoreland, and superstar second baseman Tony Kemp singles to right field to leadoff the inning. Westmorelands day is done after throwing two pitches. Senior Patrick Sullivan is granted the tough spot here. He gives up a single to right that pushes the speedy Kemp to third. Vanderbilt fans are on their feet. Tyler Webb is heading to the mound, and Sullivan’s day is done. Vanderbilt fans are whistling, and boy is it annoying. The infield is pulled in, and the Gamecocks need a miracle. Xavier Turner takes second base; no one cares. Webb strikes out Mike Yastrzemski for the first out of the inning, then intentionally walks cleanup man Connor Harrell (no doubt thinking the lefty-lefty matchup with Conrad Gregor is more suitable). Gregor singles to right field, and Vanderbilt wins the game. The teams shake hands, and Max Schrock is getting up after being injured on a collision during the play.

9th inning: Six more outs lead us to free baseball in Hoover. Score at 3-3.

Top 9th – Dantzler digs in to face Vandy’s Fulmer, who is still bringing it at 94 MPH. He pops out to shallow left field. Greiner heads to the plate and meets a similar fate, though his pop-out didn’t leave the infield. Vergason coaxes a two-out walk from Fulmer and the buzz around the stadium stands has almost entirely evaporated. Just a few nervous cheers here and there. Vergason takes second base on a wild pitch with Celek in the box. Celek seems content to let Fulmer fall behind in the count; maybe he doesn’t feel the pressure everyone else in the stands does. Celek fouls off the payoff pitch, and Vandy catcher Spencer Navin gets under it for the last out.

Note: That’s 13 men left on base!!!! Come on!!!

Bottom 9th – Colby Holmes is warming up for the ninth. I’m not even sure I’ll be able to watch. Here goes. Vandy catcher Spencer Navin singles to right to lead off the inning. Eight-hole batter John Norwood squares to bunt four times, but can’t put it down and strikes out on a foul ball toward his own dugout. With that, Holmes’ day is done and Adam Westmoreland is headed to the mound. Westmorelands first pitch becomes a double-play ground ball that sends us to extra innings. Also, Kenny Chesney’s “Pirate Flag” is playing between innings. Yes.

8th Inning: Tension mounts, score fixed at 3-3.

Top 8th – With Carson Fulmer still on the mound, Tanner English flies out to center, then TJ Costen slaps a base knock into shallow left field. Costen now has a walk, a diving catch and a single to go along with some impressive baserunning after being subbed in for the fifth inning. This could be the greatest game of his college career. Vanderbilt’s battery is obviously peeved by his presence and his lead at first and I’m loving it. Just as I type that, there’s a balk from Fulmer. Costen’s now at second. Yes, this is the greatest game of his career. After a long and eventful at bat, Schrock strikes out swinging. Pankake digs in with two outs and a chance to put USC ahead and strikes out swinging. That’s 11 Gamecocks left on base today.

Bottom 8th – Montgomery is back on the mound for the eighth. He’s pitched four-hit ball through seven innings, but can he keep the Commodores off the scoreboard for these last two? We’ll see. Meanwhile, he gets two-hitting Xavier Turner to flyout to Sean Sullivan in left field for out one. Gumby then gets an easy comeback grounder from Vandy’s Yastrzemski, which he picks up gingerly and tosses to Dantzler for out two. Connor Harrell become’s Vandy’s first baserunner of the inning with a grounded single to right field, then steals second a couple of pitches later. Montgomery intentionally walks Conrad Gregor, and now Colby Holmes is striding out to play hero with two on and two out against Vandy pinch-hitter Rhett Wiseman. The awkward silence of the ballpark is unlike any I’ve ever heard, but Holmes does the impossible and strikes out Wiseman for the inning’s final out.

7th inning: Gamecocks claw back into it, with some help from Dantzler, Montgomery & co. (3-3)

Top 7th – Vandy reliever Carson Fulmer is throwing 95 MPH heat. LB Dantzler is not a fan. He cranks one over the right field wall to tie the game at 3-3. Then Greiner grounds out for the innings first out. Then Chase Vergason tries his best LB impersonation, realizes he is about 20 pounds of muscle lighter and lifts a can of corn fly ball to Vandy’s centerfielder for the second out. Celek keeps the ball rolling (was there a ball rolling?) a batter later with a two-out base knock to left field, and Sean Sullivan chops a fielder’s choice grounder over second base that Tony Kemp makes a great play on to end the inning. (Tied at 3-3).

Bottom 7th – Montgomery is still slinging heat here in the seventh; he mows down Spencer Navin on four pitches for the inning’s first out, then left-fielder John Norwood seven pitches later. Vince Conde, who is now 2-2 with a walk, crushes a frozen rope to deep center, where Tanner English makes perhaps the greatest diving catch I’ve ever seen on a baseball field – then DROPS it. It’s really too bad; it would’ve been spectacular. Conde is credited with the double, but English hauls in a Tony Kemp flyout in left-center a batter later to end the inning.

6th inning: Gamecocks cut the lead to 3-2, Montgomery shuts down Commodores.

Top 6th – Ziomek’s still dealing for Vanderbilt. He gets a couple of easy outs from Celek and Sean Sullivan before Tanner English pulls a double down the right field line. TJ Costen – whom I callously bashed an inning ago – receives the good fortune of a dropped foulout by Vandy right-fielder Mike Yastrzemski, then stands in long enough to earn a walk. Schrock walks to the plate with two outs and runners on the corners, then punches through an RBI single with a grounder that crawled up the middle and into center field. Costen, who if nothing else is very fast, scoots all the way to third on the play and the Gamecocks cut the lead to 3-2.

With that, Ziomek’s day is done after 5.2 innings of work, two runs, eight hits, a walk and four strikeouts. RHP Carson Fulmer is in for Vanderbilt against Joey Pankake. He inherits two outs and runners on the corners, and strikes out Pankake on four pitches.

Note: With that, South Carolina has left 10 men on base, compared to Vanderbilt’s three. Failing to capitalize on scoring chances doomed the Gamecocks last night against Mississippi State, and it could be the story of South Carolina’s trip to Hoover in 2013.

Bottom 6th – Montgomery is still on the bump for the Gamecocks, set to face Vandy cleanup man Connor Harrell. Harrell pulls a grounder over to Pankake, who makes an impressive defensive play on it to get the first out. #thingsyoudontsayveryoften. Gumby gets Conrad Gregor to line out to left field, then mows down Vandy DH Kyle Smith on a disgusting looking 3-2 pitch. 1-2-3 inning for the sophomore lefty.

5th inning: A defensive substitution, and a few lame jokes. (3-1)

Top 5th – Captain Badass, er, I mean…LB Dantzler digs in against Ziomek and ropes a few foul balls toward the right field stands before popping out to Xavier Turner at third base. Greiner flies out to right field, and Vergason hits a grounder that Vandy second baseman Tony Kemp scoops up to make the easy third out at first. Also, there’s some movement in the Commodore bullpen, and I can’t for the life of me understand why.

Bottom 5th – It’s important to know that TJ Costen has come on as a defensive sub in right field for Sean Sullivan, and Sullivan slides to left to replace Graham Saiko. Why, you ask? I’ve got no clue. Costen’s been awful from the plate this year. I’d much rather see Bright, Shon Carson, Ahmad Christian or Oot Oot out there in right field instead. Just as I finish typing those words, he makes a diving catch in right for the first out. I should play the “Negative Nancy” role far more often. Anyway, Vandy’s Vince Conde coaxes a walk from Montgomery, who in turn hits leadoff man Tony Kemp to put two on with two outs for Xavier Turner. Gumby gets Turner to foul out, then mows down Carl Yastrzemski’s grandson mercilessly on four pitches to end the inning.

Fourth inning: USC strands another three, nothing doing on the scoreboard. (3-1).

Top 4th – Brison Celek digs in and lines Ziomek’s second pitch right back at him for a single; Vandy almost completes two web-gems on the play, but neither Ziomek or Kemp can get to it. Sean Sullivan follows with a hard liner up the middle to put runners on first and second. English desperately wants to bunt here, but falls behind in the count and has to foul away several pitches to stay alive. After about ten minutes of this, he pops out to left field. Saiko goes down on strikes for the second time today, and an E3 allows Schrock to jam the bases for Pankake. Flapjack Joe’s lineout to left-center ends the inning. Three stranded, no runs.

Note – South Carolina batters are actually making Ziomek work here at Hoover with some quality at bats. The lefty has already thrown 83 pitches through four innings today, though he made 89 pitches last him eight full innings in his victory over the Gamecocks earlier this month.

Bottom 4th – Montgomery gets Conrad Gregor to ground out to Pankake at short, then gets Kyle Smith to strike out swinging. Then Gumby K’s up Spencer Navin on three pitches, like a boss.

3rd inning: South Carolina cuts lead to 3-1, can’t plate desperately-needed runs.

Top 3rd – Both USC and Vanderbilt will start the third with the tops of their lineups coming to the plate, yet the Commodores own a three-run lead. At least someone around here makes the most of their chances. Anyway, Ziomek freezes up Saiko on a 3-2 count for the strikeout, but Schrock gets things going a batter later with a hard grounded single that found its way to right field. Pankake follows with a frozen rope single to left to put two on, and Dantzler coaxes a walk to load the bases for Greiner (or as Randall affectionately calls him, “the Velociraptor”). Greiner makes feeble contact on a 1-2 inside fastball, sending a grounder moving at the speed of a baby tiger making its first steps down the third base line. Vandy’s Xavier Turner picks it up and steps on third for the second out, but can’t make the double play to get Greiner at first. Schrock scores from third, cutting the lead to 3-1. Chase Vergason looks completely overmatched with two on, two outs and a 3-2 count against Ziomek, and apparently is. He pushes an easy fly to left field to end the inning and strand two. Vandy still up 3-1, though USC does appear to want to win.

Bottom 3rd – Vandy third baseman Xavier Turner (whom Chad Holbrook recruited extremely hard to come to USC) blasts Montgomery ‘s first pitch of the inning right at Saiko for the first out, then Yastrzemski feeds an easy grounder to Pankake, who tosses it fundamentally (I know, right?) across the diamond to Dantzler for out two. Center fielder Connor Harrell launches what would be a warning track fly in most parks toward Tanner English, and the sophomore grabs it in mid-center of Hoover Met to close out the frame.

2nd inning: Vanderbilt takes charge, 3-0 lead.

Top 2nd – USC catcher Grayson Greiner pushes a Ziomek pitch back into right field for the single, then Chase Vergason is brushed by a fastball to put two on. Brison Celek tries to bunt, but can’t lay it down and Vandy third baseman Xavier Turner catches the pop up for the first out. Sean Sullivan, starting in right field over Connor Bright, goes down swinging for the second out. Right field is a cursed position in Hoover. Tanner English makes an incredible effort to load the bases with a two-out bunt, diving around the first baseman’s tag, but is called out for being out of the basepath. Gamecocks can’t capitalize despite an early start to the second. (0-0).

Bottom 2nd – Montgomery deals to Vandy cleanup man Connor Harrell, who lines a screamer right back at him up the middle for a single, the Commodore’s first hit of the day. Fortunately, no one was hurt on the play. The next batter, Conrad Gregor, tags the payoff pitch over Pankake’s head at short for a single. With two on and no outs, things quickly go sour. Like Brison Celek a half-inning before, Vandy’s Kyle Smith pops up a bunt. Montgomery can’t make the catch, but turns to throw to first for the out. The ball soars into foul territory in right field. Two runs score and Smith sprints around to third. Spencer Navin fouls out for the first out, and Sean Sullivan makes a fantastic diving catch in right field to rob left fielder John Norwood of a base knock, but a run scores when Smith tags from third. This is a bad inning for USC, down 3-0. Vince Conde, Vandy’s nine-holer, yanks a double down the third-base line, but Montgomery sits Tony Kemp down looking to end the inning.

1st inning – Nothing doing for either team. Score at (0-0)

Top 1st – Lefthander Kevin Ziomek stands tall on the mound for Vanderbilt. He goes right at Graham Saiko, who pokes an easy chopper to the Vandy shortstop Vince Conde for an easy first out. Max Schrock digs in next, but goes down looking to Ziomek for the second out. After fouling off a few pitches, Joey Pankake hits a hard grounder up through the middle for USC’s first hit. Then Ziomek wins a battle of the lefties by getting Danztler to pop out to left-center. No harm done, (0-0).

Bottom 1st – Montgomery stares down Vandy leadoff man Tony Kemp, who is batting .405 on the season and gets him to fly out to Graham Saiko in left field. Saiko makes a tough play on a rather hard-hit ball for the first out. Montgomery then strikes out Xavier Turner swinging on four pitches. Vandy right-fielder Make Yastrzemski reaches for an outside pitch and pops a lazy fly out to left, where Saiko makes the easy grab. Can of corn, 1-2-3 inning for Montgomery. (0-0).

First pitch was estimated at 1 p.m. That’s incredibly unlikely as Alabama and Ole Miss just finished up here in the tenth at 2 p.m. Alabama won 7-5 to avoid elimination, not that anyone cares. USC and Vandy are set to get underway at 2:30 p.m.

2:15 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time – USC and Vanderbilt are warming up on opposite ends of the field. Vanderbilt players are dressed in all white with black caps and letters, while the Gamecocks have donned the Yankee grays. The higher seed is the home team in the SEC Tournament.

South Carolina lineup

LF Graham Saiko – (.254, 1 HR, 23 RBI)

2B Max Schrock – (.284, 5 HR, 36 RBI)

SS Joey Pankake – (.312, 10 HR, 38 RBI)

1B LB Dantzler – (.333, 14 HR, 47 RBI)

C Grayson Griener – (.294, 4 HR, 34 RBI)

3B Chase Vergason – (.267, 4 HR, 25 RBI)

DH Brison Celek – (.293, 1 HR, 6 RBI)

RF Sean Sullivan – (.333, 6 RBI) – getting the start over Connor Bright, who had a terrible game one against Mississippi State.

CF Tanner English – (.264, 18 RBI)

P Jordan Montgomery (4-1, 2.11 ERA, 38 K’s)

Vanderbilt lineup

2B Tony Kemp – (.405, 30 RBI, 27 steals)

3B Xavier Turner – (.308, 27 RBI, 15 steals)

RF Mike Yastrzemski – (.329, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 18 steals)

CF Connor Harrell – (.316, 11 HR, 61 RBI)

1B Conrad Gregor – (.290, 3 HR, 39 RBI, 18 steals)

DH Kyle Smith – (.270, 4 HR, 16 RBI)

C Spencer Navin – (.313, 4 HR, 32 RBI)

LF John Norwood – (.362, 1 HR, 9 RBI)

SS Vince Conde – (.307, 6 HR, 39 RBI)

P Kevin Ziomek – (10-2, 1.99 ERA, 102 K’s)

Quick Preview

South Carolina has its back firmly placed against the wall Thursday against a top-ranked Vanderbilt team in the SEC Baseball Tournament’s loser’s bracket. As USC head coach Chad Holbrook pointed out after the loss last night to Mississippi State, it will be an opportunity to make up for the third game of the USC vs. Vanderbilt series from earlier in May that was cancelled because of weather. The Commodores swept the Gamecocks in the shortened two-game series.

Pitching for USC in the win-or-go-home situation is Jordan Montgomery. The sophomore lefty is 4-1 this season with a 2.11 ERA. He’ll make his third career start and fourth appearance overall against the Commodores after posting a 1-1 record against them already in his young career.

Opposite Montgomery on the mound will be Vanderbilt’s Kevin Ziomek, who will look to continue an impressive season in which he has earned a 10-2 record and 1.99 ERA. The lefthander leads the SEC in opponents’ batting average (.182) and strikeouts (102). Ziomek pitched a gem in a winning effort against the Gamecocks already this year in Carolina Stadium.

The game’s first pitch should be in about an hour and a half, but the outlook for USC looks exceptionally bleak on paper. The Commodores lead the SEC leading team in terms of batting average (.319),  on-base percentage (.414),  runs (402), RBI’s (368), doubles (113), triples (16), walks (253), stolen bases (117), wins (48) and saves (21). Owners of the best regular season record in all of college baseball, the Commodores were handed the SEC Regular Season trophy by Commissioner Mike Slive before their SEC Tournament opener – which they dropped 5-0 to Texas A&M.

Like I said – USC’s chances aren’t the great. In fact, they’re not even good. With that being said, baseball games aren’t won on paper, especially if South Carolina’s baseball program is involved in any capacity. It should be a great day of baseball, and we’ll be here every half-inning of the way to bring you all the news, stats and updates on the goings-on from here at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.

Plagued by a multitude of mental errors, the Gamecocks (39-17) fell 5-3 to the five-seeded Bulldogs (42-16) and are now facing elimination Thursday against Vanderbilt. Senior reliever Adam Westmoreland (7-2) picked up his second loss of the season, while Mississippi State reliever Myles Gentry improved to 4-0 with the win.

The Bulldogs sprung ahead 3-0 in the top of the first against an dazed-and-confused Nolan Belcher and went on to outhit the Gamecocks 12-7 for the game. South Carolina would tie it up with a three-run outburst in the fourth inning, but were kept off the scoreboard the remainder of the game by Mississippi State’s sidearmed righthander Myles Gentry, who came on to squash the fourth-inning rally.

Failure to make the most of opportunities characterized the Gamecocks’ night from there. With two on and one out in the fourth, Connor Bright and Tanner English struck out consecutively, ending the inning and vaporizing any positive momentum South Carolina had gained in the scoring burst. LB Dantzler and Grayson Greiner faced similar fates with the game still tied at three in the fifth. Digging in at the plate with runners on the corners and just one out, Dantzler went down on strikes to Gentry. The Bulldog reliever then struck out USC’s next batter, Greiner, stranding two runners and sending the Gamecocks back to the dugout empty-handed.

In the eighth, Max Schrock flew out to left field with LB Dantzler at second base, and Bright struck out a couple of batters later with two on and two outs to send the game deadlocked into the ninth – where the Bulldogs would ultimately win it.

In all, the Gamecock stranded five runners in scoring position and nine overall. On the other hand, Mississippi State capitalized precisely when it needed to, poking through two RBI singles off of USC reliever Tyler Webb – though the runs were counted to Westmoreland – to take the lead for good.

USC head coach Chad Holbrook called his offense’s effort disappointing, saying that his guys need to do more to support the pitching staff – particularly Nolan Belcher, who settled in to pitch well after surrendering the three-run first inning. Belcher would leave the game after 6.1 innings of work in which he allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks.

“Nolan battled and competed his rear end off like he always does, and it was kind of the same old song and dance with him pitching,” Holbrook said. “He pitches his rear end off and we don’t play our rear end off behind him, and that’s disappointing.”

While admitting that they could have done more, Holbrook and a few of his players opted to give credit to Mississippi State’s Gentry, who guided the Bulldogs to the end, pitching 5.2 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts and only allowing three hits and three walks.

“You’ve got to give Gentry credit,” said USC head coach Chad Holbrook. “He stuffed us the whole game. From the minute he came into the game he stuffed us. He was the difference in the game.”

USC will look to rebound against the nation’s number one team – Vanderbilt – tomorrow at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. Left-handed sophomore Jordan Montgomery will get the start for South Carolina in a win-or-go-home game against the Commodores, who swept USC in a two-game series at Carolina Stadium earlier in May. The Commodores will pitch Kevin Ziomek, who pitched a gem against the Gamecocks earlier this year.

Vanderbilt dropped their first game of the tourney 5-0 to Texas A&M earlier Wednesday afternoon, but the likely-number one overall seeds in the NCAA Tournament have little to prove to the NCAA Tournament selection committee against USC in tomorrow’s game.

“[Vanderbilt has] been number one all year long and they’re number one right now, and that’s what this league is all about,” Holbrook said. “You can’t feel sorry for yourself. It’s also a great opportunity to play a great team with a terrific record and we didn’t get to play the third game against them so maybe we’ll see what our guys are made of if we come out and compete a little bit.”

For Tyler Webb, who surrendered Mississippi State’s game-winning hits in the top of the ninth, finding success tomorrow will be about putting tonight’s game behind them.

“I think we’ll be alright,” Webb said. “We’ll go home and regroup and try to flush this one. Just prepare for tomorrow and come out here. The biggest thing is playing loose.”

The mental mistakes have got to stop

This one is tough to figure out. You know that Holbrook and his predecessor aren’t bad coaches. Most would argue that they’re among the country’s best. But for some reason, the mental mistakes just keep coming, like they have for multiple seasons now. The plate approach in late-innings situations is questionable. Veteran players make head-scratching baserunning blunders, like getting doubled up after a popout in foul territory. Players try to do too much or don’t make up their mind quickly enough in the field, which leads to defensive blunders.

Vanderbilt proved that you have to play a perfect game to beat them when they came to Columbia a few weekends ago. They didn’t run up a 26-3 conference record by catching a bunch of lucky breaks against better teams along the way. For Carolina to survive and advance tomorrow, it can’t have a repeat of tonight’s mistakes.

Everything about this outfield is trippy

DOES THIS MAKE SENSE TO ANYONE?!?

It’s never a good thing when the bullpens are in play down the lines because of the increased risk of injury to pitchers and catchers. This season, the Hoover Met moved the bullpens behind the outfield walls. But for some reason, they made them off-center, which is problematic for OCD folks like myself who like everything to be nice and neat. This vexing asymmetrical arrangement causes the team logos to be unbalanced, with five SEC team logos in left center and the other nine stretching from right center toward the right field corner. To make matters worse, they’re in reverse alphabetical order. It makes absolutely no sense.

Furthermore, the dimensions are very, very deep. The fence looks to be about 12 feet tall and lies 340 feet from the plate in the corners and a whopping 405 to straightaway center (by comparison, Carolina Stadium is 325 feet and 390 feet, respectively, while nearly all of the fences are eight feet). The Hoover Met was notorious for being a pitcher’s park back when the old bats were in play. These days, it takes gale force winds blowing straight out coupled with finding a penny face-up on the ground and a couple of rubs on a rabbit’s foot to get one over the fence. If you’re lucky.

Our players’ body language is a cause for concern

It’s tough to take a loss, especially a frustrating one when you lose a late lead at a neutral site that feels more like a road game. I get that. But the most beautiful thing about baseball is that there’s always tomorrow. You can’t let a loss linger in your mind because the game won’t allow you to. South Carolina will be on the field again about 13 hours from now, against what most people consider the best team in the country. If the players are still lamenting what might have been in tonight’s game, they don’t stand a chance.

Yet in postgame interviews tonight, the players’ body language was alarming. Players labored to look interviewers in the eye, choosing instead to forlornly stare into the distance. Their voices were downcast and surly. It was almost as if you could see storm clouds gathering in their eyes as they mentally replayed the situation that ultimately cost them a win. Head coach Chad Holbrook must rally his troops tonight, reminding them that there is still much to play for.

A loss tomorrow seals the deal for a national seed

The Gamecocks proved in 2010 that they could go on the road and win a Super Regional

South Carolina finds itself in the uncomfortable position of needing to play its way in to the national seed discussion this week in Hoover, a harrowing proposition considering the Gamecocks’ inability to string wins together at the SEC Tournament. Most commentators believe that Carolina will host a Regional for the fourth consecutive season. They had an outside chance to secure a national seed, and with it the guarantee of hosting a Super Regional, with a strong showing in Hoover. And while a win against Vanderbilt would go a long way in furthering that aim, three losses in four games to Mississippi State in a span of seven days certainly hurts Carolina’s standing considerably. Simply put, Carolina can’t just beat Vanderbilt tomorrow and hope to receive a national seed. It needs to make a bona fide Omaha-esque run through the loser’s bracket if it wants a guaranteed host site in early June.

Top Twitter questions of the night

What is it about the SEC Tournament that we always play like crap in Hoover? (from @TamaraBatesRhod)

I wish I had some sort of an answer for this. It’s completely dumbfounding. It’s almost as if our players year in and year out forget that the SEC Tournament can be very meaningful in determining Regional host sites, national seeds, etc. Recent history has proven that a bad performance in Hoover isn’t an accurate predictor of NCAA Tournament success, but I’m completely stupefied as to why we can’t seem to ever string together nine innings of solid baseball in this stadium.

And it isn’t just recently that this has been a pattern. The 2004 tournament is the only title the Gamecocks have claimed in over two decades of conference play. Carolina currently has 17 consecutive SEC Tournament appearances dating back to 1997, the longest active streak in the conference. But the team’s overall record in tournament play is 25-38, a lowly .397 winning percentage, and tonight’s loss marks the ninth loss in the past 11 games in Hoover. It just doesn’t make sense.

What is your favorite sport to cover? (from @ajsolheim)

This one’s actually pretty easy. It’s got to be baseball. It’s the only sport we’ve ever been able to cover properly. Our story is one of persistence and determination that’s only recently paid dividends. We hope next season to be in a position to cover football and basketball games, both home and away, from the press box just like we’re now able to do with baseball, eventually expanding to minor sports as well. But for now, baseball is what gets our blood pumping more than anything else.

Photo Credit: Grand Strand Sports Report

Ahead of us (by hopefully just a few hours) is Hoover, Ala., the location of the 2013 SEC Baseball Tournament, and behind us is a year-and-a half of struggling to get to this point. It’s been just under a year since Randall made a trip just like this one to Omaha, Neb. after miraculously being granted credentials by J.D. Hamilton, the NCAA Media Coordinator for the College World Series. At the time, it was much more of a miracle than we had even imagined, as Hamilton had intended to deny our request for credentials, but had pressed the wrong button (Score!). Within a few days, Randall had bought a plane ticket for Omaha (yes, out of his own pocket) and the rest is history.

Those few weeks are what transformed Garnet Report.com into its current form. Funding the entire trip out of his own pocket and ingenuity, Randall wrote 33 articles over the 11-day span in which the Gamecocks went on a third-straight magical postseason run, and South Carolina’s baseball fan base (an incredibly large one) responded extremely well to his efforts. With all the readers we gained from Randall’s time in Omaha, we decided to take a go at covering Gamecock sports. The catch: How the heck do we do that?

I look back now as I type away on my laptop and think of how naïve we were to take on such as task with a sports writing staff of just three guys and so much stacked against us. We had no idea what a task we were undertaking in becoming a sports-only news site. For one, we didn’t meet USC’s qualifications for credentials (sports websites must be nationally-affiliated), and without credentials your hands are tied as writers. For nearly an entire year, we struggled to pick up page views because we couldn’t speak to players or coaches, cover games in the press box, travel to cover away games or even come to watch football practice in the fall. Worst of all, we didn’t see any way that we could feasibly meet the department’s credentialing standards, and knew that the time was ticking on our existence if we couldn’t find a way to adhere to their policy.

Things continued to get more hopeless even as we hired a swarm of new writers to take on coverage for USC’s basketball and baseball teams as the fall semester came to an end. Randall and I – along with a few others – were pulling out all the stops to get credentials (we even spoke to Ray Tanner himself a few times), but nothing worked. At times, we considered throwing in the towel on the whole thing, since there seemed to be no progress toward our goal of becoming fully credentialed media members.

But we caught a break in early April. Randall had been in contact with the Media Relations Department in an attempt to get Spring Game credentials. They finally said yes: since we were a registered Student Organization at USC, we’d be able to get credentials to any USC sporting event we wanted. We’d get the access we’d worked so hard to gain for a year. In an instant, everything about Garnet Report changed for the better. Our existence was justified, we finally felt like our hard work was paying off, and we realized our dream of walking into a press box and knowing that we belonged there.

We still had trouble getting the funding from USC’s Student Government to travel to events during this postseason, however. Where’s the fun if everything comes easily? We hung in limbo for weeks waiting to find out if we’d be able to secure the money to go. In fact, we literally waited until 10:00 last night, until Randall got the call saying that the money was there. So he and I packed up the car this morning and started our six-hour drive to Hoover, this time without having to draw from our savings accounts and wondering if USC’s success on the diamond in Hoover Metropolitan Stadium would translate to personal bankruptcy for both of us. For that, we couldn’t be more grateful to the great folks within USC’s Student Government.

It sounds cheesy, but dreams really do come true. We faced countless obstacles and seemingly impossible hurdles, but we finally broke through. Just like our original post on this subject from last summer in Omaha, it’s pretty crazy to think about how persistence pays off. If you’re chasing an impossible dream, keep at it. You may find that your big break will find you just when you least expect it.

You can click on “Postseason Coverage” on the top bar of the site or follow this link to our postseason baseball central page, where we’ll be posting all of our articles and updating as Carolina navigates through the SEC and NCAA Tournaments. Check the site or our Twitter page (@GarnetReport) for all of the links to our articles. And thanks for being the best college baseball fans in the country!

Chase Vergason:

“We Takin’ Over” by DJ Khaled

“Started in Atlanta, then I spread out wit’ it/South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi…”

Vergason not only took a circuitous route to Columbia, coming from Florida Atlantic to Brevard CC to USC, but he has also made his way around the infield. The former second baseman took over the hot corner this year and has been fairly solid. He has also been a stalwart on an injury-plagued squad, starting 52 games on the year.

Joey Pankake:

“A Little Bit Is Better Than Nada” by Texas Tornados

“A little bit is better than nada/Sometime you want the whole enchilada…”

Pankake’s game may have one minor issue, but the sophomore is close to being the whole enchilada for USC. His only problem has been the 15 errors he committed, but his bat has been very impressive. If the fielding mistakes get corrected, Pankake could do big things for the Gamecocks.

LB Dantzler:

“Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

“Tonight is the night, we’ll fight ’til it’s over/So we throw our hands up like the ceiling can’t hold us…”

Few stadiums around the SEC have been able to hold the blasts from Dantzler’s bat. The senior has hit more homers than any Gamecock since 2009. Despite moving from third base to first, Dantzler also leads the team in doubles, RBIs and slugging percentage.

Max Schrock:

“Wagon Wheel” by Old Crow Medicine Show

“Heading down south to the land of the pines/I’m thumbing my way into North Caroline…”

Schrock escaped from UNC-stronghold Chapel Hill and made his way south to Columbia. Schrock found his way into the starting lineup and his play has elevated throughout the season. The freshman has been strong in the field with just six errors on the year. Schrock’s bat may not send balls to New England or Roanoke, but he has done a great job of getting on base. And, yes, the link takes you to Darius Rucker’s version of the song, but you and I both know it’s the best version.

Grayson Greiner:

“Runnin’ With The Devil” by Van Halen

“I live my life like there’s no tomorrow/And all I’ve got, I had to steal…”

A deal with the devil can’t ensure baserunners will be safe with Greiner behind the plate. The sophomore has gunned down 20 runners this season. The catcher is also third on the team in stolen bases.

Graham Saiko:

“Jump Right In” by Zac Brown Band

“You can jump right in/Let the music pull you in…”

The Indiana native has jumped right in to the outfield rotation for Carolina and has provided some stability to a unit that has undergone a myriad of injuries. Saiko is the only player on the USC roster that has started in the outfield in every game he has played this season.

Connor Bright:

“Get Off Of My Back” by Bryan Adams

“Get off of my back and into my game/Get out of my way and out of my brain…”

South Carolina was searching for an everyday rightfielder before Bright exploded onto the scene and pushed all competitors out of the picture. The Mount Pleasant native has played error-free ball all season and is pushing .300 at the plate. Bright’s fearless approach in the box has paid off and USC will expect continued productivity from him in the postseason.

Tanner English:

“Bullets In The Gun” by Toby Keith

“I had a reputation for never staying very long/Just like a wild and restless drifter, like a cowboy in a song…”

English rarely stays in a single spot for very long. English is absolutely explosive coming out of the box and is always a threat to swipe a bag once he’s on the basepaths.

Nolan Belcher:

“Some Nights” by Fun

“Some nights I stay up cashing in my bad luck/Some nights I call it a draw…”

The fact that Nolan Belcher’s record is currently 7-5 is an absolute crime. Belcher has struck out 83 batters and walked just 13 in 99.1 innings this season, but has had nights when his teammates have given him little support at the plate or in the field.

Tyler Webb:

“Over When It’s Over” by Eric Church

“It’s a white flag, it’s a stop sign/It’s a last long drag on a Marlboro Light…”

When the senior closer strides to the mound, the game is over. Webb has made more appearances than any other pitcher in the history of South Carolina baseball and has done the impossbile by filling the shoes of Matt Price. USC’s bullpen has struggled all season, but Webb has been rock solid.

Adam Westmoreland:

“You’ve Got A Friend In Me” by Randy Newman

“You got trouble and I got ‘em too/There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you…”

Despite the struggles of Carolina’s relief pitchers throughout the year, starting pitchers can breathe easy when Westmoreland comes out of the pen. The big lefthander from Cayce has bridged the gap between USC’s starting rotation and its dominant closer and has been the only reliable reliever on the Gamecock roster.

Patrick Sullivan:

“Crash My Party” by Luke Bryan

“Don’t matter what plans I’ve got, I can break them/I can turn this thing around at the next red light…”

You never know when Sullivan is going to be called on, but he always seems to be ready. Sullivan’s numbers are not eye-popping, but the senior has been able to help USC in crucial situations.

Colby Holmes:

“I Knew You Were Trouble” by Taylor Swift

“Flew me to places I’ve never been/Now I’m lying on the cold hard ground…”

Colby Holmes has been a major part of South Carolina’s success over the past few seasons, but this year has been one to forget for the former starter. Holmes has struggled mightily, getting into trouble with nearly every appearance and his issues have flummoxed both fans and coaches alike. He has improved in recent weeks and the Gamecocks could certainly use the Holmes of old in the postseason.

And finally…

A coach who has taken over for a legend and has had to deal with major obstacles in his first season, all while trying to impress a fan base whose expectations have gotten out of control. Plenty of fans have scrutinized his every move this year, despite leading his team to a top-four seed in a ridiculously competitive conference and doing so with a squad that has seen multiple key players go down with injuries.

Chad Holbrook’s song

Photo Credit: Independent Mail, Post and Courier, ESPN, The Big Spur, GoGamecocks

The same can be said of South Carolina baseball’s status now with the regular season over and the start of the  postseason just days away. By most standards, USC’s regular season has been a success. The Gamecocks finished 39-16 and will have a bye in the first round of the SEC Tournament after earning the four-seed with a win against Mississippi State last Friday night.

But baseball teams are not remembered for the regular season. Can anyone recall what the 2004 Boston Red Sox’s regular season record was? How did the the 2010 (or the 2011) Gamecocks do in the regular season before catching fire and winning national championships in Omaha? More importantly, why is it nearly impossible to remember these regular seasons when we can so easily recollect in vivid detail the magic of their postseason runs?

It’s simple. Just as in school, baseball’s “finals week” – the postseason – is what defines the entire season. This year, the Gamecocks have been good – not great – but they have plenty of potential for another mystical postseason run if they can buckle down and play their best baseball when it counts. With the start of the postseason just days away, here’s an evaluation of how each player’s “grades” stand at the end of the regular season, though each of them should have opportunities to build on what they’ve done already this season and leave impressions rememberable for years to come.

A’s – The stars of the ball club.

Webb was crucial to USC’s regular season success.

Tyler Webb – Very seldom does Webb enter a game and not dominate. USC’s senior door-slammer (16 saves) will be greatly utilized in the postseason – and greatly missed next season.

Adam Westmoreland – Westmoreland was one of the most reliable pitchers on the roster this season, kind of like that kid the professor can always count on for the answer when the rest of the class comes up blank.

LB Dantzler – A former JUCO transfer, Dantzler returned for his senior year at USC after not being selected in the MLB draft. In his second year with the Gamecocks, he made the switch from third to first base and became the team’s best hitter, as well as one of the best in the SEC.

A-

Jordan Montgomery – Montgomery missed a lot of time with injury, but was an “A” pitcher when on the mound this year. He’s a big-game pitcher who could make some noise this postseason.

Grayson Greiner - Greiner’s bat heated up during the second half of the season, and he’s one of the best in the game behind the plate. Just ask any number of guys who tried taking second on him this season.

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