South Carolina leads the North Carolina baseball team 8-0 at the seventh-inning stretch of today’s Super Regional game.
If the Gamecocks hold on, the teams will play again Monday in an elimination game.
A day after UNC ace Kent Emanuel delivered his shortest start of the season, left-hander Hobbs Johnson delivered his own shortest outing, giving up five runs to South Carolina in 1.2 innings.
The UNC bullpen struggled to ward off further damage as right-hander Reilly Hovis walked four and combined with Taylore Cherry to allow three more Gamecocks runs. Trevor Kelley is now pitching for the Tar Heels.
On the other side, Gamecocks starter Jordan Montgomery has thrown seven shutout innings — despite three errors from the defense behind him.
The Gamecocks have history on their side: They’re 10-1 in elimination games dating back to 2010 and have won two out of the last three championships.
