CUSTOMER: Al, did you read Mercy’s article?
Al: Why should I read it? I heard it.
— “The Natural”
I sort of figure that if you were interested, you also heard — or rather, watched — the Gamecocks beat Florida last night, bringing them… Well, never mind where it brings them. Don’t want to jinx anything.
So I’m not going to attempt a written description here.
But Bud mentioned the game back here on an unrelated subject, and in case some of y’all would like to discuss it here, I thought I’d give you a place to do it.
Pretty good game, huh?
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With all these one-run wins and the consecutive streak in the NCAAs, plus the nature of the wins against Virginia and now last night, I really am beginning to think Ray Tanner has made some kind of deal with you-know-who. I mean, come on, Christian Walker has a broken bone in his hand, and suddenly, mysteriously, can play after all? The looks on the Gators’ players’ faces at the end of the 9th and 10th innings seemed to indicate their resigned belief that some supernatural force had to be at work against them. Still, gotta win one more.
Mentioning South Carolina Gamecocks and NCAA win streak records in the same sentence just seems so unnatural. Yesterday was my birthday (and by coincidence my wife’s as well) so if we can overcome the double birthday jinx then anything is possible. Still, the Gamecock faithful have had their hearts broken often over the years so it’s possible that it can happen again. I’m just hoping for a good ole 15-0 game tonight. Can’t take too more of these late night, extra inning affairs.
It was a great game up until the 8th inning when it then turned into an all-time memorable game.
Getting out of bases loaded, no outs in the ninth and then throwing out the winning run at the plate in the 10th? Winning run scores on a double error and the game is saved by a kid who threw 95 pitches on Friday? Unbelievable.
It’s good to see local kids in there also. Forrest Koumas is from Lugoff-Elgin H.S. and was pitching against my son’s Blythewood team just two years ago. Big step up and he’s handled it really well.
A CLOSER who threw 95 pitches, if I heard right…
And Phillip, don’t make suggestions. Florida may make a complaint to the NCAA, claiming that the Gamecocks made a deal. They could try it in Salem…
The most exciting moment was the one Doug mentioned (and I pictured above).
I had my thumb on the “off” button to turn off the TV as soon as I saw the ball leave the Florida guy’s batt. You could tell it was a base hit, with a guy in scoring position. I thought, “That’s it…”
But I hesitated, realizing it was POSSIBLE they might throw the guy out. And they did. Man.
This is real baseball. The bats don’t even go “DINK” anymore.
I question that 3rd out on the 2nd to home to 1st double play in the 9th. It looked like a tie, and the tie goes to the runner.
A closer with 95 pitches on Friday gets the save. How improbable is that. And it’s only about the fourth most improbable thing about last nights game.
“Tie goes to the runner” is an effort to reduce the number of arguments in pick-up games. The statement appears nowhere in any official rulebook.
As a former umpire, I can tell you there are no ties. I once made a call in a regional championship game in California that was analyzed on the local news. The sportscaster’s comment was “He got it right, but I don’t know how. Glad I didn’t have to make that call.”