Stokes Homers but Baseball Falls to Clemson
March 3, 2018
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Madison Stokes stayed hot, going 3-for-4 at the plate, but Clemson scored the final four runs of the game, taking advantage of 10 South Carolina walks, and defeated the Gamecocks, 5-1, Sunday afternoon (March 3) at Fluor Field.
Cody Morris got out of big jams in each of the first two innings. The sophomore righty walked the first two batters in the first but snared a comebacker that started a double play and then induced a fly out. In the second, Robert Jolly singled and Drew Wharton had a ground-rule double in right. Morris battled back and struck out the next three batters, keeping the game scoreless.
Clemson did score a run in the third on a sacrifice fly from Patrick Cromwell, but the Gamecocks answered in the top of the fourth as Madison Stokes ended an 11-pitch at-bat with a solo home run over the Green Monster in left center.
The Tigers took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth on a Seth Beer sacrifice fly and Cromwell RBI single. Kyle Wilkie’s two-run single in the fifth put the Tigers up 5-1.
South Carolina put a pair of runners on in the ninth as Jonah Bride and Matt Williams singled, but a flyout and double play ended the game.
Stokes had another solid performance, going 3-for-4 with the solo home run, while Bride added two hits. Wilkie and Cromwell drove in a pair of runs apiece for Clemson.
Morris went 3 1/3 innings for the Gamecocks, striking out four and allowing four hits and three runs to take the loss. TJ Shook ate up some innings out of the bullpen. He struck out three in 3.1 innings of scoreless relief.
GAMECHANGER
Madison Stokes belted a solo home run to tie the game at one in the top of the fourth, but the Tigers answered right back with two spots in each of the next two frames.
KEY STAT
Stokes had three hits today and now is 10-for-21 (.476) with three doubles, four home runs and seven RBI this season.
NOTABLE
- The South Carolina pitching staff walked 10 men in today’s game, which was a season high.
- Matt Williams made his first start of the season for the Gamecocks, going 1-for-3 on the day.
- LT Tolbert’s 10-game hitting streak was snapped in today’s game.
- Attendance at Fluor Field was 7,385, the third-highest attendance mark in ballpark history.
- Stokes now has 22 career multi-hit games at South Carolina.
UP NEXT
South Carolina and Clemson wrap up the three-game set tomorrow afternoon (Sunday, March 4) with a 2 p.m. start at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, S.C.
