Stretch time in Columbia

By William Bretherton - March 31, 2007

At the stretch, there are now many, many more empty seats here in Columbia as fans are leaving possibly to go see the Ohio State-Georgetown Final Four game on television.

It would be easy for someone to lose sight of Mike Minor's pitching performance in the 12-1 ball game, but he really has been unflappable today. In six innings so far, he has allowed just one earned run and 5 hits. Even though Carolina was able to load the bases last inning, the Gamecocks were unable to plate a single run as Minor worked out of the jam.

Afer picking up a very likely two wins in this series, it will be very difficult for the Gamecocks to come out with a top notch effort tomorrow. In a game that tends to rely on momentum, Carolina has had most of the wind taken out of their sails.

On another note, the college game never ceases to amaze me. In the 7th inning of a 12-1 rou, these players are still giving an all out effort. Right fielder Harvey Lail nearly beat out a routine ground ball to short with his hustle. While hustle may no longer be as much a part of the pro game, it is very much still a part of the college game.