FROM CBB NEWS SOURCES
South Carolina 15 Charlotte 8
Raleigh, N.C. – Justin Smoak went 4-for-4 with three RBI and James Darnell and DeAngelo Mack added a pair of three-run homers as South Carolina opened up NCAA Regional play with a 15-8 win over Charlotte on Friday afternoon in Raleigh, N.C. at Doak Field. The Gamecocks advance to the winner’s bracket and will meet the winner of today’s NC State-James Madison game on Saturday evening at 7 pm. Carolina is now 39-21 on the year with Charlotte falling to 43-15 this season.
The Carolina offense had it going with 18 hits on the afternoon and South Carolina erupted for a 9-0 lead in the first four innings. Smoak’s four hits tied a career-high and Parker Bangs also set a career-high with three hits to lead the Gamecocks at the plate. Smoak set the school record as well for total bases as he has 476 in his career with the Garnet & Black. In his first career start, Mack added two hits including a home run, his sixth of the year. Darnell’s home run was his 19th of the season and was also his 41st of his career to tie for eighth on the USC All-Time career list. Scott Wingo and Reese Havens added two hits apiece as eight of nine starters recorded at least one hit. The 18-hit total for Carolina is tied for third highest in a game this season for South Carolina.
South Carolina Recap
Charlotte Recap
NC State 6 James Madison 2
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – Ryan Pond’s tiebreaking two-run double in the seventh inning led North Carolina State past James Madison 6-2 on Friday night in the Raleigh Regional at Doak Field at Dail Park.
Pond, who had struck out with a runner in scoring position earlier in the game, pulled the ball down the left-field line to score catcher Christ Schaeffer and shortstop Tommy Foschi with the game’s decisive runs.
Schaeffer and Drew Martin homered for the top-seeded Wolfpack (39-20), who snapped a three-year string of losses in their NCAA tournament openers. They advance to face second-seeded South Carolina in the championship bracket Saturday at 7 p.m. No. 4 seed James Madison (38-18) slips into an elimination game against Charlotte in a 2 p.m. contest.
NC State Recap
James Madison Recap
