March 7, 2004
Clemson, S.C. – Steven Tolleson hit his second home run of the season to lead off the 10th inning as fifth ranked South Carolina capped a two-run comeback to defeat 18th ranked Clemson 8-7 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The win improves the Gamecocks to 12-0 on the year while the loss drops Clemson to 4-5 on the year.
Junior reliever Chad Blackwell picked up the win for USC to go to 1-0 on the year while Clemson reliever Collin Mahoney took the loss for the Tigers. Blackwell worked a career high four innings and had five strikeouts and allowed three runs on four hits.
The Gamecocks trailed 7-5 in the eighth inning when Michael Campbell drove a RBI double to right field to score Davy Gregg and Brendan Winn and tie the game at seven. South Carolina finished with 12 hits on the game with Tolleson leading the way with three. South Carolina hit three home runs in the game, all solo homers from Steve Pearce, Landon Powell and Tolleson.
South Carolina opened up a 1-0 lead in the first inning. After a failed pickoff attempt on pinch runner Steven Reinhold, senior infielder Bryan Triplett knocked a double to right center scoring Reinhold and giving the Gamecocks a one-run cushion. Clemson tied the game at one in the bottom of the second inning. A one-out sacrifice fly by Clemson infielder Russell Triplett scored Lou Santangelo.
Both teams traded runs in the third inning on a pair of homers. Landon Powell extended his hitting streak to a career-high eight games with his third homer of the year, off a 2-2 pitch from Lumsden. Herman Demmink led off the bottom half of the frame with his second homer of the season, just clearing the outfield fence in left field.
The Gamecocks would take a 4-2 lead with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Steve Pearce had a sacrifice fly and Davy Gregg a sacrifice fielder’s choice to put USC up two runs. Clemson tied the game with two runs in the bottom half of the sixth with a Tony Sipp solo homer and a RBI sacrifice fly from designated hitter Brady Everett.
Tied at 4-4 in the seventh inning with one out, Pearce put USC on top by one run as he drove the first pitch from Clemson reliever Patrick Hogan over the left field wall for his eighth homer of the season.
Clemson took its first lead of the game in the seventh inning with three runs off USC reliever Chad Blackwell to go ahead 7-5.
South Carolina starter Aaron Rawl worked five 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on six hits while Clemson starter Tyler Lumsden went five innings and also gave up four runs on six hits.
The Gamecocks return to the field on March 9 as the Gamecocks host Yale at 7 p.m. in the first of a two-game set at Sarge Frye Field.
