CARBONDALE — The South Central Cougars are headed to the 1A baseball state semifinals after a wild 15-14 nine inning win over Goreville.

The Blackcats dug a huge early hole, as South Central scored six in the second, another in the third and two more in the fourth for a 9-0 lead.

Goreville head coach Shawn Tripp was not around to see his club’s rally after he was ejected in the bottom of the third from a play stemming from the top half of the inning. The Blackcats had loaded the bases with two outs, but the Cougars picked off the runner at third to end the inning. Tripp thought a balk should’ve been called, and argued vociferously with two of the three umpires before heading back to the dugout. Then in the bottom of the inning, Tripp continued his beef when he went out to change pitchers and was sent off.

Goreville did not go quietly in the game, either.

AJ Johnson’s two-run single helped key a four-run fifth. Then Johnson had a three-run double in the sixth that came part of a four-run sixth to pull Goreville within a run at 9-8.

South Central tacked on three insurance tallies in the bottom of the sixth, highlights by Beau Jolliff’s two-run homer giving the Cougars a 12-8 lead.

The Blackcats continued their rally. Trailing 12-9 with two outs and the bases loaded, Johnson came through again, this time with a game-tying, three-run double. Johnson drove in eight on the day.

Rhet Schuetz followed two batters later with a two-run double giving Goreville it’s first lead of the day at 14-12.

South Central then rallied in the bottom of the seventh. After cutting it to 14-13, Jolliff came through with a two-out RBI double to score Chase Dodson with the tying run, and we were headed extra innings.

It stayed that way until the bottom of the ninth, when Sam Rubin drew a bases loaded walk on a 3-2 pitch. Chase Dodson scored for the fifth time on the day–this time was the Supersectional winning run to send his team to the 1A final four.

South Central will now play Mt. Pulaski Thursday at 1:00 at Illinois State University. The third place game will immediately follow with championship game set for 7:00.