South Carolina slugger Cole Messina has been used to delivering in clutch moments for the Gamecocks this year. Well on Friday evening against James Madison in the 2024 NCAA Baseball Tournament, Messina once again found freon coursing through his veins. In the bottom of the ninth inning, with his team trailing 7-5 with only one out left, the slugger delivered an epic two-run blast that tied the game up.
South Carolina prevailed 8-7 in 10 innings in the Raleigh Regional. Following the big win, Messina chatted it up with the ESPN2 crew on “Squeeze Play”.
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What did the game-tying home run feel like? “I mean, these guys deserve it. This is a fun group of people to play with and Blake Jackson getting a hit there gave me a chance to do what I did. And Chris Veach keeping it close where he was. He kept it close. I mean, he did what he needed to do. And that’s just a big team win. And that just shows us that we’re battle tested,” Messina explained.
Messina was intentionally walked his other appearances at the plate vs. JMU. What was his mindset knowing the Dukes were going to have to pitch to him in the bottom of the ninth? “I guess you could say my homer against Arkansas. I think he had a good fastball. I mean, obviously he’s a good pitcher. And I was just selling out for a heater. And he hung a slider and I took my best swing at it. I didn’t know if I got it or not. It felt like I had done something cool, but it worked out.”
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