March 6, 2011
Clemson, S.C. – Clemson batted around to score six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Tigers rallied to defeat South Carolina 10-5 on Sunday afternoon at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Clemson improves to 7-2 while the loss drops Carolina to 8-1 on the year. The two teams meet in the rubber game on Tuesday night at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. with first pitch at 7 p.m. The game can be heard on the Gamecock Radio Network.
A back-and-forth affair, the Gamecocks stormed back from a 3-1 deficit in the seventh inning with four runs to take a 5-3 lead on the Tigers thanks to a solo home run by Christian Walker, a RBI ground out by Michael Roth, a wild pitch and a RBI single off the bat of Evan Marzilli. With a 5-4 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth, the Gamecocks went with closer sophomore right-hander Matt Price. The Tigers got into scoring position as Jason Stolz led off with a single followed by a sacrifice bunt by Chris Epps. With Epps in scoring position, Brad Miller knocked a single in the hole between short and third base. On the play, shortstop Peter Mooney bobbled the hard chopper that allowed Stolz to score and tied the game at 5-5. With Miller still on first base, Jeff Schaus drilled a RBI double to the gap in right-center scoring Miller and giving the Tigers a one-run lead. With two outs and runners on first and second base, Spencer Kieboom drew a bases loaded walk that brought Will Lamb to the plate. Lamb turned on a 1-2 pitch from Price that scored both Miller and Schaus increasing Clemson’s lead to 9-5. Clemson pinch hitter Jon McGibbon added a RBI single that gave Clemson the 10-5 lead.
Clemson reliever Joseph Moorefield took the victory and is now 1-0 on the year. He worked two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Price suffered the loss and is now 0-1 on the year. He allowed six runs on four hits with two walks in 0.2 innings pitched.
South Carolina broke ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning as Jackie Bradley Jr. drilled a two-out solo home run to left-center, his third home run of the season. Clemson strung together three consecutive two-out hits in the bottom of the third including a RBI double by Jeff Schaus that went off the glove of first baseman Christian Walker and down the first base line scoring Chris Epps and Brad Miller to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead. Clemson made it 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth when Miller drew a bases loaded walk to give the Tigers a two-run cushion.
Carolina made its move in the top of the seventh inning. Walker gave the Gamecocks a boost as he drilled his team-leading fourth homer of the year to center field. Walker finished the night 2-for-4 and has eight multi-hit games in nine games this season for Carolina. After Brady Thomas reached base on a strikeout swinging with a wild pitch, Adrian Morales drew a walk to give the Gamecocks a pair of runners with no outs. After Peter Mooney’s sacrifice bunt, the Gamecocks elected to go to pinch hitter Michael Roth who drilled a hard ground ball to first baseman Richie Shaffer that scored Thomas and tied the game at 3-3. After a walk to Scott Wingo put runners on the corners, Morales scored on a wild pitch by reliever David Haselden that put Carolina on top by a run. Marzilli kept the momentum going as he knocked a RBI single to right-center scoring Wingo and increasing the Gamecock lead to 5-3. Clemson would get an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh that cut Carolina’s lead to one run before the eighth inning.
Clemson had 15 hits to Carolina’s five on the evening. Walker’s 2-for-4 day led the Gamecocks. Stolz went 3-for-5, with Kieboom, Lamb, Miller and Schaus all with two hits for Clemson.
