South Carolina stymies Wojo’s mojo

The Citadel had a two-run lead in the seventh and its ace on the mound.

But that’s when Wojo lost his mojo.

His spiral propelled by a balk and one of three wild pitches, Bulldogs starter Asher Wojciechowski fell apart in a five-run inning that allowed South Carolina to rally for a 9-4 victory Saturday evening in this NCAA regional’s winner’s bracket game before 7,418 fans at Carolina Stadium.

“You’ve got to credit South Carolina,” Citadel coach Fred Jordan said. “They beat a very good pitcher.”

At 7 tonight, USC will play the winner of a 2 p.m. elimination game between the Bulldogs (43-21) and Virginia Tech. The second-seeded Hokies (39-21) stayed alive by eliminating Bucknell earlier in the day Saturday.

The loss snapped the Bulldogs’ 13-game win streak, predating the Southern Conference Tournament title run.

The Gamecocks (45-15) were in this position a year ago. But that was at East Carolina, where the Pirates dramatically won two games to end USC’s season.

Location isn’t all that’s changed, the Gamecocks said Saturday.

“Different team,” said first-year JUCO product Adrian Morales, who hit a two-run homer in the ninth to pad the lead and has six hits (two homers) in the two regional games. “It’s a different team. We’re going to go in and try to take it (today) in three games.”

USC coach Ray Tanner said senior Jay Brown will “more than likely” start tonight. Just in case, South Carolina, which has a deep bullpen, has needed only two relievers so far.

If the Gamecocks win, they’ll advance to their first super regional since 2007. If they lose, a winner-take-all game will be played here Monday.

Saturday’s rally was the Gamecocks’ second come-from-behind victory in as many days in its first home regional in three seasons.

Freshman Evan Marzilli, the man of the moment for South Carolina, had a two-run, pinch-hit single on a full count in the seventh against Wojciechowski to tie the game at 4.

A balk, called by third base umpire Tim Vessey, moved the runners into scoring position for Marzilli.

Later, with Wojciechowski wobbling, a wild pitch — well over the catcher’s head — plated Marzilli with the go-ahead run. Just before that, catcher Brady Thomas stole second while Wojciechowski still had the ball on the mound.

Thomas scored on Morales’ subsequent double into the right-field corner to make it 6-4.

“There’s a little pride in that,” Morales said of beating Wojciechowski. “He’s a projected first-rounder. It was big for us.”

Christian Walker followed with a double off reliever Drew Mahaffey to put USC ahead 7-4.

The Gamecocks again looked like they were in big trouble in the middle innings.

Citadel cleanup hitter Bryan Altman, 3-for-3 on the night, mashed a three-run home run in the fifth to give the Bulldogs a 4-2 lead and Wojo still going strong.

Altman was up only because of catcher Kyle Enders’ throwing error on a dropped third strike two batters earlier.

“I don’t think we’ve ever gotten him out,” Tanner said of Altman. “He wears us out.”

Wojciechowski had piled up wins (12) and strikeouts (144) coming in, but his road numbers — against fairly average opponents — showed he was hittable.

In six road starts (42 innings), he was 4-1 - but with a 5.14 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP.

That road ERA swelled to 5.73 after he was charged with seven earned runs in 62/3 innings Saturday. Wojciechowski, who lost only his third game of the season, did strike out 11.

He threw 132 pitches after going nine, eight and eight innings in his past three starts, including two starts in the SoCon tourney.

“That guy is strong as a mule. He was good,” Jordan said. “I’m not going to sit here and say anything (bad) about Asher. It was all South Carolina.”

Jordan did concede, though, that the balk “may have upset him a little bit.”

Not to be lost in the talk of aces is All-SEC performer Blake Cooper, who struck out 12 and gave up no earned runs (four runs) in 71/3 innings. It was Cooper’s 11th victory of the season.

“Wojo was really special,” Tanner said, “and so was Blake Cooper.”

Down three, the Bulldogs threatened in the eighth against Cooper. A one-out single and walk brought the tying run to the plate to face Gamecocks closer Matt Price.

Price induced a 1-2-3 double play from Bulldogs third baseman David Greene to keep The Citadel off the board in the inning.

Price pitched the ninth perfectly to get the save, his eighth of the season.

Jordan said the team’s goal coming in was to be playing Sunday. Now it’s to play in tonight’s championship game.

“We can’t have a hangover,” Jordan said. “This one’s over.”

The Gamecocks’ goal is loftier. They want to play next weekend. And the weekend after that, in Nebraska.