South Carolina 5, Cal State Fullerton 3

<p>South Carolina pitcher Jason Fletcher told all his friends and family to be watching his first College World Series start, and he didn't disappoint.</p><p>Fletcher and Chad Blackwell combined to hold Cal State Fullerton hitless over the last five innings and Bryan Triplett homered and drove in the go-ahead run to lead South Carolina to a 5-3 victory on Wednesday night.</p><p>The Gamecocks (53-16) forced a rematch with the Titans (44-22) on Thursday to determine which team will face Texas in the best-of-three final that starts Saturday.</p><p>Fletcher (6-1) went six innings and allowed all five Fullerton hits. Fletcher and Blackwell combined to retire 16 of the last 17 batters after Ronnie Prettyman's bunt single in the fourth inning.</p><p>"Last night when I got the word I was going to start, I had chills going all night," Fletcher said. "I tried to call everybody I knew to let them know they should watch the game tomorrow. We deserve this, to be out here and still playing."</p><p>Blackwell earned his nation-leading 20th save for his three innings of work.</p><p>"That's a little bit long for a closer to go three innings, but if you don't win, you don't play, so we ran him out there and it worked out for us," Gamecocks coach Ray Tanner said.</p><p>Mike Martinez (8-3) took the loss after allowing five runs and 11 hits in 6 1-3 innings.</p><p>"Everybody wanted a day off tomorrow, but we're working," Fullerton coach George Horton said. "We got outplayed, plain and simple."</p><p>Felipe Garcia's two-run double in the first gave Fullerton the lead, but South Carolina scored in the second on a Brendan Winn single and went ahead 3-2 in the third on Triplett's two-run homer.</p><p>The Titans tied it at 3 in the fourth after Sergio Pedroza walked and took third on P.J. Pilittere's single. Pedroza came home on Prettyman's squeeze bunt.</p><p>The Gamecocks took the lead in the seventh. Davy Gregg bunted and reached third after Martinez threw wildly to first after going to his knees to field the ball.</p><p>"I felt like I had to dive and I didn't pick it up cleanly, and I made an off-balance throw," Martinez said. "It got away from me."</p><p>Gregg said he was surprised to see Martinez's throw rolling down the right-field line.</p><p>"Once I crossed first base and saw it out the corner of my eye, I was just off to the races," Gregg said.</p><p>Triplett followed with a tie-breaking single between third and shortstop, and Steve Pearce added an insurance run with an RBI single.</p><p>A South Carolina win on Thursday would set up a rematch of its 2002 CWS final against Texas. The Gamecocks have been national runners-up three times but have never won a title.</p><p>Fullerton hopes to play for its fourth national title. The Titans' titles in 1979, '84 and '95 came under Augie Garrido, who now is the coach at Texas.</p><p>"Everybody's head is going to hit that pillow tonight knowing that tomorrow is going to be our day and we're going to come out firing," Fullerton catcher Kurt Suzuki said.</p><p>Matt Campbell (10-5) is the probable starter for South Carolina. Jason Windsor (12-4), who threw a three-hitter against South Carolina in the first round, likely will pitch for Fullerton.</p><p>Gamecocks catcher Landon Powell said he and his teammates look forward to getting a second chance against Windsor.</p><p>Not Tanner.</p><p>"The guy struck out 14 and beat us 2-0," Tanner said. "Do you think I want to see him again?"</p>

http://accesswdun.com/article/2004/6/165990