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S. Carolina heads to finals with 3-2 win over Hogs

Sports

June 23rd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Tyler Webb and Matt Price combined for seven innings of shutout relief, and two-time defending national champion South Carolina returned to the College World Series finals with a 3-2 win over Arkansas on Friday night. The Gamecocks (49-18) took the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning on Barrett Astin’s two-out, bases-loaded walk to Adam Matthews. South Carolina will play Arizona in the best-of-three finals beginning Sunday. The Gamecocks erased a 2-0 deficit in the fifth, with DJ Baxendale walking Christian Walker with the bases loaded to force in the tying run. Matthews looked ready to swing on a 3-2 pitch from Astin in the seventh, but he held up as the slider dropped low and Joey Pankake trotted home for the going-ahead run. Price (5-4) pitched three innings to earn his record fifth career win in the CWS. Colby Suggs (7-1) took the loss for Arkansas (46-22).