The Gamecocks faced a familiar team for game 3. The team they beat in game 2, the Virginia Cavaliers, was their opponent. The pitching matchup of South Carolina’s Michael Roth vs. Virginia’s Danny Hultzen was billed a great pitching matchup. And it was for three innings.

Virginia’s Steven Proscia scored the first run in the top of the 2nd. Roth had gone 38 1/3 innings without surrendering an earned run. Hultzen pitched under the weather, but no one could tell as he struck out eight of nine Gamecocks before leaving at the end of the 3rd inning.

Lucky for the Gamecocks. The Cavs brought in LHP Kyle Crockett. He gave up a double to Christian Walker, followed by a single by Jackie Bradley, Jr. Adrian Morales was hit by a pitch and loaded the bases with one out. Brady Thomas scored two runs with a double. Morales was later thrown out at home.

Crockett lasts four innings and is replaced by Branden Kline. Roth leaves at the end of seven and John Taylor is called on to pitch. Taylor allows a double and Matt Price gets the call from the bullpen. John Hicks reaches on an E6 and the game is now tied 2-2. The Gamecocks turn a double play to get out of the inning.

The Gamecocks threated in the bottom of the eigth. Evan Marzilli hits a sac fly to get the runner to 2nd. Scott Wingo is hit by a pitch. The bases are loaded with one out when both Bradley and Morales are struck out.

Still tied in the ninth, both teams leave runners on. In the top of the tenth, John Barr steals a base. Hicks is intentionally walked with one out. Proscia gets walked as well (not intentionally).  The Cavs fail to score. Two Gamecocks are stranded in the bottom of the tenth. Virginia has runners on second and third with one out in the 12th. Jared King is intentionally walked. The Gamecocks turn yet another double play to get out of trouble. By this point, Price has thrown 81 pitches.

Cavaliers load the bags with no outs. Chris Taylor strikes out. The Gamecocks turn a double play in back to back innings to get out ouf trouble. Price left the game in after the 13th inning. He gave up seven hits, no earned runs, five walks and fanned five in 5 2/3 innings. He threw a total of 95 pitches.

Kline pitched five innings, also not giving up any runs. He had four walks, seven K’s and threw 107 pitches. Cody Winiarski replaced Kline and gave up a single to Thomas. Thomas is replaced by a pinch runner, Adam Matthews. Peter Mooney reachers on an error. Robert Beary bunts and Winiarski overshoots third base and Matthews scores the winning run. The Gamecocks win 3-2 in 13 innings.

With the defeat, the Cavaliers are eliminated. The win is the Gamecocks 14th consecutive NCAA win, a new record. It is also their nine straight CWS victory.

The Gamecocks face the Florida Gators in a best of three series starting on Monday for the CWS title.