Diamondhawks fall in regional final as season ends

GREENVILLE, NC (WWAY) — There would be no late-inning dramatics today for the UNCW baseball team.

After a rally in a long delayed game Sunday night sent the Seahawks to the final round of the NCAA Baseball Tournament’s Greenville Regional this afternoon, UNCW could not come back to overcome an early lead by South Carolina. The Gamecocks won 8-4 to advance to next weekend’s Super Regional.

UNCW tried to rally late. Trailing 8-3 in the bottom of the 9th, the first two Seahawk batters reached base. After a fielders choice put runners at the corners, a Mason Berne sacrifice fly cut the deficit to four, but that was as close as it would get.

USC led 2-0 and 4-1 before the Seahawks closed the gap to 4-3 on a Kep Brown two-run homer in the bottom of the 6th. But the UNCW bullpen could not get the shutdown inning it needed, as South Carolina scored two in the top of the 7th to extend the lead then added two more in the 9th to put the game out of reach.

UNCW made it to the final after losing its opener to host East Carolina 16-7 Friday. Throughout the weekend the Seahawks battled opponents and Mother Nature. The Seahawks eliminated Ohio State in an extra-inning game that was delayed by rain. Then yesterday, they overcame a 5-0 run and a five-hour rain delay to rally and knock out the host Pirates with a 9-7 final.

UNCW finishes the year with 39-23 record and a CAA Tournament title. The year also saw Head Coach Mark Scalf earn his 900th career win.