South Carolina wins CWS

Associated Press

Omaha, neb.

Whit Merrifield’s RBI single with one out in the bottom of the 11th inning gave South Carolina its first baseball national championship with a 2-1 victory over UCLA in the College World Series on Tuesday night.

The Gamecocks (54-16) won six straight games after losing their CWS opener against Oklahoma. They also won the last championship played at Rosenblatt Stadium, the CWS’ home since 1950.

“I don’t know how I feel,” coach Ray Tanner said. “I’ve never been in this situation. I know one thing, I’m extremely proud of these guys and my coaches. It’s unbelievable.”

It was the fifth championship decided in an extra-inning final, and first since Southern California topped Florida State — also 2-1 — in 15 innings in 1970.

Scott Wingo drew a leadoff walk and took second when catcher Steve Rodriguez, perhaps distracted when Evan Marzilli squared to bunt, let an inside 1-0 pitch get past him. Wingo moved to third when Marzilli got a bunt down, and scored when Merrifield drilled a 2-0 pitch by Dan Klein past the pulled-in outfield of the Bruins (51-17) and into right field.

Matt Price (5-1) got the win, allowing one hit over 22/3 innings for the Gamecocks, who also went to the CWS finals in 1975, ’77 and 2002, but came up short.

Klein (6-1) took the loss after working 31/3 innings for the Bruins (51-17).

Each team had plenty of scoring chances but had difficulty converting in Rosenblatt’s finale before the event moves to a new downtown stadium next year.

Price worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth, then allowed only one baserunner the rest of the way.

South Carolina had runners in scoring position in four of the first six innings, including loading the bases in the second, but could push nothing across until the eighth.