Thomas Farr of USC and Ryan Moore of Old Dominion hooked up in an old-fashioned pitchers duel Saturday night at Founders Park in the winner’s bracket game of the Columbia Regional. Each held the other’s team to one run thru seven innings. But in the eighth, Farr blinked and ODU scored the go ahead run in a 2-1 victory.
The Monarchs opened the eighth with back-to-back singles. Farr got the next two outs, then intentionally walked Matt Coutney who had homered in the second. That brought Tommy Bell to the plate, a .349 hitter coming into the game. Bell worked the count full and then got the ball four call to force in Kenny Levari from third.
ODU brought in hard-throwing righty Aaron Holiday to pitch the bottom of the eighth. He regularly touched 95 MPH with his fastball, and he struck out the side in the eighth. In the ninth, Holiday hit Brady Allen with two outs. A passed ball got Allen to second, but Andrew Eyster struck out to end the game.
The Gamecocks had their chances. They left four runners on base in the first three innings. The scored their only run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Joe Satterfield. And they had the bases loaded in the seventh with two outs, but Josiah Sightler flied to left field to end the inning.
ODU also had a bases loaded situation in the fifth with two outs, but Farr got a ground ball to the first baseman for the final out.
The Gamecocks left ten on base, the Monarchs nine. The Gamecocks were 0-13 with runners on the bags.
Farr was the hard luck loser once again getting no offensive support from his teammates. His record falls to 3-7 despite allowing the two runs on just five hits. He struck out four and walked three.
The Gamecocks are 34-22 and will face Virginia at noon Sunday in an elimination game. The Cavaliers stayed alive with a 13-8 win over Jacksonville. Brannon Jordan will start on the mound for USC.
Mark Kingston postgame press conference
Thomas Farr postgame press conference
