Myrtle Beach, S.C. (CNSNews.com) – Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich, pitching himself as a Reagan conservative, has said several times that GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney – whom he calls a Massachusetts moderate -- must be stopped in South Carolina.

However, Gingrich would not say if this means he will concede the race if he loses Saturday’s Palmetto State primary.

CNSNews.com asked Gingrich on Monday, “You seemed to say during your speech today that if Romney wins South Carolina that it’s over.”

Gingrich said it would be harder to defeat Romney if Romney wins South Carolina, since he’s already won a decisive victory in New Hampshire and a razor thin victory in Iowa.

“I think every conservative should realize that South Carolina is the right place to make sure that a conservative is the nominee,” Gingrich told CNSNews.com. “It’s clear if you look at the polls, the only conservative who can beat Romney in South Carolina is Newt Gingrich.”

“Does that mean you’ll drop out?” CNSNews asked Gingrich.

“I hope that every conservative will decide to vote for me. If they do, we will win by a surprising margin,” Gingrich said.

Pressed again on whether he’ll drop out if he doesn’t win, Gingrich said, “We have five days to win South Carolina.  I think we will win South Carolina.”

Earlier Monday, in a speech to the Faith and Freedom Coalition, Gingrich told a crowd that unless a conservative wins Saturday’s South Carolina primary, the Republican party will end up with a moderate running against President Barack Obama in November.

Last week, Gingrich’s campaign sent a fundraising e-mail to supporters saying, “There’s no more time for talking about stopping Mitt Romney. We’re going to do it next week in South Carolina or he’s almost certain to be the Republican nominee.”

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum – who nearly won the Iowa caucuses – contended that conservatives should close ranks around him. He told reporters at the Fox News debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C. that he soundly beat Gingrich in Iowa. Further, Santorum said his New Hampshire performance was strong – he finished in fifth place -- considering the lack of resources he put in the state.