Baseball Uses Early Homers, Kerry's Pitching to Defeat Clemson Friday Night
Andrew Eyster and TJ Hopkins homered in the second and Brett Kerry struck out seven in the win.
CLEMSON, S.C. – The University of South Carolina baseball team used a pair of second-inning home run and another outstanding performance from freshman Brett Kerry to open the three-game series against Clemson with a 5-4 win Friday night (March 1) at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, picking up its eighth straight victory.
In a battle of two of the top three home run hitting teams in the country, the pair did not disappoint early. Grayson Byrd’s two-run home run in the first put the Tigers up, but Carolina responded with five runs in the second. Andrew Eyster belted his second home run of the second, a two-run shot to right center field. TJ Hopkins then made it 5-2 with a three-run home run to left center.
The Tigers scored a run in the third on Michael Green’s RBI single, but Carolina reliever Wesley Sweatt got out of further trouble by rolling a 5-3 double play with runners on first and second and one out. Clemson then scored a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Sam Hall.
Kerry came in with two outs in the sixth and allowed just two hits while striking out seven batters. He did not allow a run or walk and now has 18 strikeouts in 9.1 innings pitched.
The win went to Wesley Sweatt, who allowed three hits and a run with a strikeout in 1.2 innings of work.
Eyster
had three hits to lead Carolina’s offense. Hopkins added a pair of hits and three RBI while Chris Cullen had two hits in the win.
GAMECHANGER
Brett Kerry got the final 10 outs of the game, seven of which came via strikeout.
KEY STAT
Carolina now has 19 home runs after nine games following Eyster and Hopkins’ round trippers.
NOTABLE
- Carolina has now won the series opener against Clemson for the fourth year in a row.
- Cam Tringali pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief and has allowed just one earned run in 10.1 innings of relief.
- Carmen Mlodzinski left the game in the third inning due to injury.
- The game started a half hour late due to rain.
UP NEXT
South Carolina and Clemson move to Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C., for game two of the three-game set with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
