Gamecocks' pitching, defense key victory

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- Blake Cooper worked seven innings of six-hit ball and South Carolina twice escaped bases-loaded jams down the stretch to move a win away from the College World Series with a 4-3 victory over Coastal Carolina on Saturday.

Cooper (12-1) held the powerful Chanticleers (55-9) to their fewest runs since April 27 with a big assist from South Carolina's defense and bullpen.

Coastal Carolina loaded the bases in the sixth with one out when Daniel Bowman's bouncer back toward the mound hit off Cooper's glove, was collected by second baseman Scott Wingo, who stepped on the bag and threw on target to first while falling sideway to finish the double play.

The Chants began the eighth with a single and two walks. But then reliever Matt Price struck out Chance Gilmore and Taylor Motter, and got Bowman on a slow chopper back to the pitcher to end that threat.

South Carolina (47-15) can earn its first trip to Omaha since 2004 by beating Coastal Carolina on Sunday in game two of the super regional series. The Chanticleers, the tournament's overall No. 4 seed, must win twice to reach the CWS.

Christian Walker's two-run single keyed South Carolina's three-run first inning. A bases-loaded walk to Jackie Bradley Jr. in the second brought in Bobby Haney with what proved to be the winning run.

Coastal Carolina entered the series with the most wins in Division I and the fire to prove its mid-major success wasn't a fluke against one of the state's most successful teams.

A two-decade old split Coastal Carolina was formerly part of the University of South Carolina system had made it near impossible to for coaches and athletic administrators to schedule games and these teams hadn't met since 2002.

The Gamecocks got things going right away off Coastal starter Matt Rein, loading the bases on an error, a walk and a hit batsman before Walker's single brought in two runs. Kyle Enders added an RBI sacrifice fly and South Carolina led 3-0.

The Gamecocks were on the verge of breaking things wide open the next inning, again loading the bases. However, after Bradley's RBI walk, Adrian Morales struck out and Walker flied out to center.

Coastal Carolina got back in it on Bowman's two-run homer, his 14th of the season, in the second inning. The Chants closed to 4-3 in the fourth on Gilmore's bloop single to left that scored Jose Iglesias.

And that was it for an offense that was hitting .346 this season. The Chants hadn't scored as few as three runs since a 6-3 loss to Virginia on April 27.