OMAHA, NE (WIS) -
The South Carolina baseball team will be playing a third College World Series Game against Arkansas, after blanking the Razorbacks Thursday night.
Playing their second game of the day, the Gamecocks (48-18) beat Arkansas 2-0 Thursday.
For the first time in four College World Series games, the Gamecocks scored the game's first run.USC's scoring came in the second inning, with an RBI double from Tanner English that made it 1-0, and an RBI single from Chase Vergason put the Gamecocks up 2-0.
That's all USC would need. Freshman pitcher Jordan Montgomery allowed three hits, one walk and struck out six over eight innings. Matt Price pitched the 9th inning to hold onto the win.
South Carolina lost to Arkansas 2-1 Monday to fall into the losers' bracket.
"For the second time today, we got an absolute wonderful game out of our lefties," said South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner. "Jordan (Montgomery) followed up what Michael (Roth) did earlier today. He was outstanding. He's had some good games for us this year, and this was the best one. We had some pretty solid defense behind him. A couple big double plays, and the play that Walker made late in the game was huge. But Jordan was very, very special on the mound. We scratched, got a couple of runs, and it held up."
The Gamecocks advanced to a rematch with the Razorbacks with a 4-1 win over Kent State earlier in the day.
After rain moved the Gamecocks' match up against the Golden Flashes from Wednesday night to Thursday afternoon, Head Coach Ray Tanner decided to start his ace pitcher, Michael Roth, on three days' rest.
Tanner had originally tapped Montgomery to face Kent State, but opted for Roth's experience.
"He straps it on for you," said Tanner. "He's our best guy."
The move paid off. After an early scare, Roth found his grove and retired 22 Golden Flashes in a row to close out the game.
Roth, who was drafted in the 9th round of the MLB draft by the Los Angeles Angels, gave up only one run and two hits in 9 innings. He struck out eight and walked none.
Kent State took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning, but quickly relinquished it in the bottom of that inning. USC scored two on a couple of base hits from Grayson Greiner and Chase Vergason to go up 2-1.
In the third, USC broke it open. LB Dantzler smacked a homer over the right field wall to put the Gamecocks up 4-1.
That would be all the Gamecocks needed. The final was 4-1.
"A tremendous outing by Roth," said Tanner. "We get a chance to play again."
South Carolina is the third team in the 63-year history of the CWS to win
two full games in the same day. The last to do it was Holy Cross in 1952, when
it beat Western Michigan and Penn State en route to the title.
The Gamecocks take on Arkansas again Friday night.
South Carolina junior right-hander Colby Holmes is the probable starter.
If they win, USC advances to the College World Series finals against Arizona. Game time is 9 p.m. EST.
Copyright 2012 WIS. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Michael Roth shines against Kent State. (Source: Taylor Kearns)
