March 1, 2014
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Third ranked South Carolina built a five-run lead in the third inning and added five insurance runs in the ninth inning on the way to a 10-2 win over 11th ranked Clemson. The game was played in front of a record crowd of 7,182 fans at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. With the victory, the Gamecocks take the weekend series after earning a 9-6 win on Friday night at Carolina Stadium. South Carolina is now 9-0 on the year with Clemson falling to 6-3 for the season. The series concludes on Sunday at Clemson with first pitch 4 p.m. at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
is 2-1 on the year. Crownover allowed five runs, one earned, on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
All nine Gamecock starters reached base at least once in the game with Max Schrock, Kyle Martin and Connor Bright each 2-for-4 in the contest. Schrock, Grayson Greiner and Elliott Caldwell each scored two runs apiece. Marcus Mooney added three RBI as well.
The Gamecocks batted around in the top of the third inning to build a 5-0 lead. Elliott Caldwell would reach base to open the inning on a fielding error by second baseman Steve Wilkerson. Max Schrock followed with a base hit to right field as did Sophomore left-hander Jack Wynkoop earned the win to improve to 3-0 on the year. He allowed two runs on nine hits in six-plus innings with one walk and three strikeouts. Junior right-hander Joel Seddon pitched three hitless innings of relief to tally his third save of the year and second of the series. Seddon has not allowed a hit or run in six relief appearances, a total of 7.2 innings of relief. Clemson starter Matthew Crownover lasted only 2.2 innings and suffered the loss. He Joey Pankake. On Pankake’s single, Clemson right fielder Steven Duggar juggled the ball allowing Caldwell to advance home for the first run of the game. With runners on the corners, Kyle Martin knocked a sacrifice fly to right-center scoring Schrock. With two outs and the bases loaded, the Gamecocks got some timely hitting as Marcus Mooney knocked a base hit into right field to score a pair of runs. Tanner English then set down a perfect bunt in between first base and the pitching mound that brought home Grayson Greiner giving the Gamecocks a five-run cushion.
Clemson chipped away with single runs in the fourth and fifth inning. Steven Duggar reached base in the fourth with a one-out double to left-center and scored on Phil Baum’s two-out RBI single to left field. In the fifth, a leadoff single by Tyler Slaton and a one-out double from Garrett Boulware led to a Chris Okey RBI groundout to cut Carolina’s lead to three runs.
Joel Seddon came up big for the Gamecocks in the bottom of the seventh inning. With the bases loaded and one out the sophomore right-hander worked out of a jam with strikeouts against Duggar and Steve Wilkerson to end the Tigers’ threat and keep the Gamecocks ahead 5-2.
Zack Erwin was effective in a middle relief role for the Tigers but ran out of steam in the ninth inning with a pair of walks to Caldwell and Schrock to open the frame. With Drew Moyer entering for the Tigers, the Gamecocks extended the lead as Connor Bright lifted a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded and one out to score Caldwell. After a walk to Greiner loaded the bases, the Tigers went to the pen again for left-hander Alex Bostic. He would struggle finding the zone as DC Arendas and Marcus Mooney both drew walks to score two more runs. South Carolina then capitalized on a fielding error by Wilkerson, his second of the day on a grounder by Tanner English, to score two more runs as Greiner and Arendas crossed home plate to give the Gamecocks an eight-run advantage.
Sunday’s game can be heard on the Gamecock IMG Network with Andy Demetra and Tommy Moody on the call. South Carolina will send freshman RHP Wil Crowe (2-0, 0.00 ERA) to the hill with Clemson countering with junior RHP Jake Long (1-0, 6.23 ERA). South Carolina has won 22 of its last 30 meetings against the Tigers dating back to the 2007 season.
