Cole Messina launches two-run homer in ninth inning to give South Carolina lead
Cole Messina came through in a major way for South Carolina in Wednesday’s SEC Tournament matchup against Arkansas. With the game tied at 4 in the top of the ninth inning, Messina stepped up to the plate with one runner on.
He blasted a ball to deep center field and well over the fence without a chance of it ever being caught. That gave the Gamecocks a 6-4 lead which they would carry into the bottom of the inning. You can view the moment below.
Arkansas would make a late push in the bottom of the ninth to add a quick run and make it a 6-5 game. The Razorbacks then managed to get a runner on third with two outs to put pressure on the Gamecocks defense to finish it off. Luckily, they did, catching a fly ball for the final out to hang on for victory.
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The home run marked the second of the game for Messina after he also went yard in the fifth inning on a two-run shot. He led the team by going 3-for-4 at the plate with five RBI.
Cole Messina ranks second on South Carolina with 19 home runs so far this season and leads the team with a .329 batting average. He also hit a home run in the first game of the SEC Tournament against Alabama on Tuesday.
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Garrett Gainey pitched the final three innings to earn the win for the Gamecocks. He finished with three strikeouts and allowed four hits while allowing only one run.
The victory marked the second for South Carolina thus far in the SEC Tournament after it also defeated the Crimson Tide by a score of 10-5 on Tuesday. The Gamecocks entered as the No. 10 seed and in the midst of a six-game losing streak, so the way they have played the past couple of days has certainly been encouraging.
South Carolina now moves on to face LSU, the No. 11 seed who also reeled off an upset against top-seeded Kentucky on Wednesday. First pitch for that contest is set for 5:30 p.m. ET on Thursday on the SEC Network.