• Box Score: South Carolina 5, Clemson 1
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Michael Roth proved to be the right man for the situation South Carolina found itself in Friday night against Clemson.
Faced with a win-or-go-home scenario at the College World Series, the Gamecocks turned to Roth, who spent the season as the team’s situational left-hander out of the bullpen, a guy whose primary job was to come in and get an out or two against left-handed hitters.
Given his first start Friday since April 14, 2009, Roth responded with a complete game that carried South Carolina to a 5-1 Bracket Two victory before 22,194 fans at Rosenblatt Stadium. Clemson came into the game hitting .340 in nine NCAA tournament games but managed just three hits off Roth.
“I can’t say enough great things about Michael Roth and what he did for us tonight,’’ South Carolina coach Ray Tanner said. “That was one of the most impressive performances I’ve ever had a young man pitch for me. That was one for the record books.’’
Roth’s effort, given the circumstances, might rank among the most clutch in CWS history. He had never pitched more than 4.1 innings at a time in two seasons as a Gamecock. His longest outing this season was pitching 3.1 innings in South Carolina’s opening game of the NCAA tournament.
In 22 of his other 34 appearances, Roth’s work ended after getting one or two outs.
“Sometimes you don’t like throwing to one batter or two,’’ he said. “But I began to accept that as my role for the team.’’
Roth faced 33 batters Friday, threw 109 pitches and assured the 51-16 Gamecocks of a chance to play another day in Omaha. The South Carolina win forced a second bracket championship game at 6 p.m. Saturday.
Bracket One also will require a second title game as UCLA and TCU will play at 1 p.m. It’s the first time since 1988 — the year the CWS switched to its present two-bracket format — that both will be determined by the maximum number of games.
South Carolina had earned its spot in Friday’s game by roaring back from a first-round loss to Oklahoma with victories over Arizona State and the Sooners. That latter came by a 3-2 score in 12 innings Thursday.
Afterward, Tanner admitted that he was uncertain who might start against Clemson. He and pitching coach Mark Calvi eventually decided to give the ball to Roth.
“He’s been an outstanding pitcher for us all year,’’ Tanner said. “My confidence level was that he would get the game going for us and we’d have a chance through three or four. Then we’d have to figure out what we were going to do.’’
Roth kept Tanner from having to make any decisions as he masterfully chewed through Clemson’s mostly left-handed-hitting lineup. Six of the Tigers’ nine starters swing from the left side, and they had difficulty handling Roth’s sidearm deliveries.
“I think from the last time we saw him, he dropped his arm slot a little,’’ Clemson center fielder Wilson Boyd said. “He made it tough on a lefty because it (ball) exploded in. He had a slider away, and he kept everything down in the zone.’’
Roth got 16 ground-ball outs and struck out four in improving to 2-1. He gave up a run in the third when Richie Shaffer doubled and eventually scored on a passed ball. Roth didn’t give up another hit until the eighth.
He finished off his banner performance with a strikeout of John Hinson, Clemson’s hottest hitter in the postseason, after allowing a two-out single to Brad Miller.
“I just went out there and tried to throw inning after inning,’’ Roth said. “I told Coach I’d throw until my arm fell off. He asked me if that was going to be after one inning.’’
Roth paused, then added, “I didn’t expect to go nine innings. I really expected to go at least five. And I just kept taking one inning at a time.’’
Clemson coach Jack Leggett also didn’t expect to see Roth around at the end.
“But he was having success, he was throwing strikes and he was getting quick outs,’’ said Leggett, whose team dropped to 45-24. “So they just kept riding him.’’
Roth’s teammates helped out with a fast start that saw South Carolina score a run in each of the first four innings. Jackie Bradley Jr. had RBIs in the first, with a groundout, and the third, with a double. Adrian Morales singled in a run in the second inning.
After Clemson scored in the third, Kyle Enders hit his third homer of the season to make it 4-1. He completed the scoring with an RBI single in the sixth.
Clemson had won two of three from South Carolina during the regular season. Now, the series is even with a spot in next week’s best-of-three championship series on the line Saturday.
“The pressure was on us,’’ Bradley said. “It was win or go home. We’ll both come out and play tomorrow. The one that loses, they’re going home.’’
Contact the writer:
679-2298, steve.pivovar@owh.com
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