Hoover wasn't kind to the Gamecocks again this year. After putting themselves in an early 3-0 hole, Carolina clawed back to tie the game at 3. They created many opportunities to score more runs, but as in the last few games there weren't enough clutch hits.
It seems Carolina has fizzled down the stretch losing 4 of 5 and 2 of the last 3 series, and there is some truth in that. While the pitching has been steady the hitting is in a collective slump. Most notably, timely hits aren't coming.
There is a belief that timely hits are a matter of luck and that they come and go without explanation. While there certainly is a measure of chance that comes and goes, fortune is not the key factor for timely hitting. Quality at bats and consistent approaches create timely hitting. Some Gamecocks routinely put together quality approaches while others need to work on that in the regionals.
It wasn't all bad news Thursday. USC showed a ton of fight and battled back against an outstanding Vanderbilt team. The kind of battle was reminscient of past championship teams.
Kudos to Jordan Montgomery on an outstlanding pitching performance. He looked like Montgomery from the beginning of the season. If he's back to form, Carolina has a real shot to beat anyone when he's pitching.
So what about the regional? South Carolina should still be hosting, but if someone makes an incredible run, the committee could give away the Gamecocks site. However, most South Carolina beat writers seem confident there will be a Columbia regional. Watch out for Virginia Tech, South Alabama and Arkansas. Pull against them.
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