• VIDEO: Postgame Press Conference 

Rhode Island Lineup
Hess (2B), Figueroa (3B), Powell (CF), Olmo (RF), McManus (1B), Wessel (DH), Livingston (C), Corin (LF), Hill (SS), Wilson (P)

South Carolina Lineup
Cone (RF), Hopkins (LF), Thompson-Williams (CF), Bride (3B), Destino (DH), Stokes (1B), Cullen (C), Arendas (2B), Mooney (SS), Schmidt (P)

How it Happened
Rhode Island rallied from a four-run deficit to stun South Carolina, 5-4, and record the program's first NCAA Championship victory Friday night at Founders Parks in Columbia, S.C.

All-American Tyler Wilson (13-1) pitched into the eighth inning despite a rocky start, allowing the Rams (31-25) to come back and pull off the biggest upset of the tournament thus far. With the win, Rhode Island became the first No. 4 seed to beat a No. 1 seed in the 2016 NCAA Regionals. 

South Carolina (42-16) got on the board first as Gene Cone led off the bottom of the first with a solo home run. Wilson got ahead of Cone 0-2, but the Gamecocks leadoff hitter battled back to a full count before lining a shot to right field. Later in the inning, Alex Destino hit a two-run shot to make it 3-0.

The Gamecocks added a run in the bottom of the third to move ahead, 4-0. With one out and a runner on third, Johan Bride singled through the right side to drive in TJ Hopkins.

Rhode Island cut the lead in half in the top of the fourth inning when Ryan Olmo and Brett McManus hit back-to-back solo home runs with one out. Olmo hit a line drive to right for the first run, and McManus launched the next pitch to the visiting bullpen in left center to bring the Rams within 4-2. 

In the top of the fifth, Rhode Island loaded the bases with no outs on singles from Laurence Hill and Chris Hess, followed by a walk to Martin Figueroa. Jordan Powell fouled off four pitches before lining the eighth pitch of his at bat for a single to center that drove in Hill and knocked South Carolina starter Clarke Schmidt out of the game.

The Rams took their first lead of the night on a wild play that took a while to sort out. McManus lined a ball to the gap in left center that Dom Thompson-Williams nearly caught with a diving effort. Hess and Figueroa both came in to score, but Powell was out at second for the fielder's choice. The umpires conferred for several minutes before ruling that Thompson-Williams had not caught the ball, allowing the runs to count and give Rhody a 5-4 lead.

Hopkins led off the bottom of the fifth with a double for South Carolina. However, Wilson retired the next three batters on three pitches. Thompson-Williams popped to shortstop, Figueroa knocked down a liner to third and threw out Bride and Destino grounded out to first on consecutive pitches. 

The Gamecocks got a runner to second with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but Wilson struck out Thompson-Williams and got Bride on a groundout to second base to end the threat.

Destino led off the bottom of the eighth with a walk for the Gamecocks. Head coach Raphael Cerrato called for sophomore Nick Johnson, who struck out the first batter he faced, Madison Stokes. Stokes attempted to bunt with two strikes, but fouled the pitch off. Johnson retired Chris Cullin on a soft liner to third base, then struck out pinch hitter John Jones to retire the side.

Johnson walked Marcus Mooney to start the ninth, prompting Cerrato to call for closer Tyler Barss. Barss retired Cone, who put down a sacrifice bunt to move Mooney to second base. Barss then struck out Hopkins and fielded a Thompson-Williams tapper in front of the plate  to end the game.

Inside the Box Score

• Sophomore Tyler Wilson pitched into the eighth inning, allowing four runs on six hits and five walks. After allowing three runs on three hits in the first, he settled down and limited the Gamecocks to one run on three hits over the next six-plus innings.
• After the rough first, Wilson struck out the side in the second inning. He also fanned the side in order in the fourth inning.
• He struck out 11 batters, the fifth time this year and the seventh time in his career he has fanned 10 or more in a game.
• The home run by South Carolina's Gene Cone was just the sixth allowed by Wilson this season, and the first he allowed since April 8. When Alex Destino added a two-run shot later in the inning, it marked the first time in his career Wilson allowed two home runs in the same game.
• South Carolina's first three hits and four of its six overall went for extra bases. Wilson - who threw a season-high 125 pitches - had allowed just 16 extra-base hits all season entering the game.
• Freshman Brett McManus hit his second home run of the season. His first long ball came during opening weekend at the #14 Florida State. 
• McManus later drove in two runs on his fielder's choice in the fifth inning, giving him three RBI for the second game in a row.
• Senior Ryan Olmo's home run was also his second of the year. The solo shot gave him 10 RBI over his last four games. Olmo later added an infield single.
• It was the first time this season Rhode Island hit back-to-back home runs, but the fourth time the Rams hit multiple homers in the same inning.
• Redshirt freshman Laurence Hill got Rhode Island's first hit of the game, a single in the top of the third. He added another single and scored a run in the top of the fifth.
• Redshirt sophomore Chris Hess singled twice and scored once. The run was his 58th of the season, tying him with Dan Batz (2004) for the third most in a single year in program history.
• Sophomore Jordan Powell doubled, singled and drove in a run while junior Martin Figueroa walked twice and scored once.
• Senior Connor Foreman and redshirt junior Mike Corin both singled. Foreman also drew a walk.
• Sophomore Mike Foley appeared as a pinch runner and stole a base.
• Senior catcher Chase Livingston threw out Dom Thompson-Williams trying to steal second in the third inning. It was just the fifth time this season Thompson-Williams was caught, as he entered the night 17-of-21 in stolen base attempts.
• As a team, the Rams outhit the Gamecocks 11-6.
• Sophomore Nick Johnson pitched a scoreless eighth inning, striking out two batters.
• Sophomore Tyler Barss retired all three batters he faced to record his 13th save of the season, increasing his single-season program record.
• As a staff, Wilson, Johnson and Barss combined for 14 strikeouts - a new single-game high for the Rams.
• South Carolina sophomore All-American starter Clarke Schmidt (9-4) had eight strikeouts through the first four innings, but Rhody knocked him out of the game with no outs in the fifth. Schmidt allowed five runs (all earned) on six hits and three walks.
• South Carolina had entered the game 18-2 all-time in the postseason at Founders Park. 
• The Gamecocks had won 22 consecutive NCAA Regional openers dating back to a 9-4 loss to James Madison in 1983.
• Additionally, the Gamecocks were 30-4 at home this season before Friday's loss.
• South Carolina head coach Chad Holbrook was ejected in the top of the seventh for arguing home plate umpire's Skip Deitz' strike zone. 
• The game started at 8:10 p.m. due to a weather delay caused by rain storms earlier in the afternoon. The delay was one hour and six minutes.
• Attendance was 6,832, marking the largest crowd Rhode Island played in front of this season.
• The game took 3:36 minutes to complete.

Up Next
Rhode Island will face UNCW in Saturday's winner's bracket game at 6 p.m. as the Seahawks defeated Duke 11-1 Friday. The game will be shown live on ESPN3.com.