Oh... What a Game.

I told you I would be sharing the experience of the NCAA Baseball Tournament with you, but unfortunately, I don't believe that words can do justice to the game I attended last night.

A five-run third inning for South Carolina gave the Gamecocks a commanding 6-0 lead over East Carolina, silencing the standing room only crowd at Clarke-LeClaire Stadium. Even to the most optimistic of fans (myself included), it looked like the Pirates would have to watch the rest of the tournament on television.

My friend standing next to me summed it up. "Only three months 'til football season." The Pirates also won a Conference-USA Championship on the gridiron.

But this is a university known for their 1991 Peach Bowl appearance, where they were down a ton in the second half, the crowd started chanting "We Believe" and the Pirates somehow came back to beat NC State 37-34. So how could you expect the Pirates to just give up?

After six innings, it was 7-4 Gamecocks, but the Pirates' pitching was struggling to keep East Carolina in the game. The pitching staff was depleted, this was their fifth game in three days and the started lasted less than three innings.

But the Pirates' bats continued to slug away, and after seven innings it was 7-6 and the stadium was roaring. The outfield fence was shaking. The area behind the outfield at Clarke-LeClaire Stadium is called "The Jungle." Usually reserved for students, so many tickets were sold that other fans were crammed in there too. You would have thought we had just won the game, or at least taken the lead, but we still trailed 7-6.

Oh but was the crowd silenced very quickly. Before the Pirates could get an out in the eighth, South Carolina right-fielder Jamie Bradley Jr. hit a rocket of a two-run shot to right center field to make it a 9-6 deficit after eight innings.

The Pirates defense made quick work of the Gamecocks' hitter in the top of the ninth and headed for the final frame, needing a miracle.

Due up for the Pirates were the 5, 6, and 7 spot hitters in the lineup. Usually the weaker part of their hitting. But back-to-back walks by Brandon Henderson and Dustin Harrington to start the inning brought the tying run to the plate. This brought the Pirate faithful to their feet, and started the "We Believe" chant.

Devin Harris stepped in the batter's box, already 2-3 on the day. He took a called-strike to start the at bat. And in a scene that looked like it had been taken straight out of a Disney movie, he hammered the 0-1 pitch to left-center field and into the jungle, just a few feet away from where I was standing.

To try and do justice to the scene out in The Jungle, think pandemonium, it was insane. And that home-run just tied the game, there was still work to be done.

Freshman pitcher Mike Wright, who had never gotten a win in his career (foreshadowing of course), pitched a scoreless tenth inning for the Pirates, and East Carolina was ready to win it in the bottom half of the inning.

With one out and the winning run on second base, guess who stepped up to the plate. Devin Harris who must be feeling like a million bucks at this point after tying the game in the ninth.

The at-bat seemed to last an hour, a 3-1 count to Harris that included quite a few pauses by the pitcher and batter. After a step-off by the pitcher, the pitch came in and wouldn't you know it, a rocket single up the middle forcing a close play at the plate. East Carolina's Kyle Roller slid into home plate just in front of a perfect throw from South Carolina center-fielder Whit Merrifield and the Pirates had won it!

An amazing game that now sends the Pirates off to Chapel Hill to play North Carolina, an in-state rival who they split their two meetings with this season. Game one is Saturday at noon, and will be shown on ESPNU. As always, I will give you recaps of the experience throughout the weekend.