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Tigers turn tables on futility
Host Clemson avoids late collapse that would have handed USC historic win
Clemson hosted South Carolina in a baseball game Wednesday April 8, 2009 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson SC.
RICHARD SHIRO/Contributor /Greenville News
CommentsThe solution to Clemson’s ninth-inning collapses against USC proved simple.
Build a cushion large enough for there to be room for error.
Having lost both of its previous rivalry series meetings this season after carrying a one-run lead into the final inning, Clemson carried a three-run advantage into the ninth Wednesday night, holding on to eclipse USC 7-5 and snap a six-game losing streak in the series.
The Gamecocks (21-11) failed to match their longest winning stretch in the 110-year rivalry.
“We definitely knew where we were and definitely wanted to break the cycle,” Clemson coach Jack Leggett said.
“It’s more relief than anything. I’m just glad it’s over and we’ve moved on.”
Leggett said he was more worried about his team’s psyche in light of its nightmare stretch of close defeats.
A night after surrendering two runs in the ninth of a 7-6 loss in Columbia — its fifth loss when leading entering the ninth — Clemson (21-11) finally closed the deal thanks to sophomore lefty Craig Gullickson and redshirt sophomore right-hander Graham Stoneburner, who combined to finish the game with four innings of one-run relief.
USC’s five relievers yielded five runs on five hits. They issued five walks and two hit batters.
“You’d rather make them earn everything,” USC coach Ray Tanner said. “We aided the situation a little bit.
“But they made some clutch pitches when they needed to and came up with some big hits.”
Junior outfielders Addison Johnson and Wilson Boyd had two RBIs apiece for Clemson, and designated hitter Kyle Parker went 3-for-4.
Six players had one hit apiece for USC, while junior left-fielder DeAngelo Mack — who recorded the game-winning hits in each of the team’s series wins this season — went 1-for-3, including an RBI single in the ninth that closed the Gamecocks to within 7-5.
Clean-up hitter Nick Ebert stepped to the plate representing the tying run, but Stoneburner struck him out to earn his first save of the year.
“It’s definitely emotional,” Clemson designated hitter Kyle Parker said. “We’ve had a number of heartbreaking losses, which should only make us stronger. We’re not giving up. It’s just about time for things to turn around and us to start coming out on top in some of those games.”
The lead changed three times before Clemson scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to push ahead 6-4.
A lead-off single and a pair of walks loaded the bases for Wilson Boyd, who lofted a sacrifice fly with one out to tie the score.
Tanner replaced reliever Will Casey with Parker Bangs. With runners on second and first, pinch-hitter Chris Epps thenpulled the go-ahead RBI single to right that plated Parker.
Jason Stolz followed with an RBI dribbler up the middle to put Clemson ahead 6-4.
The Tigers added a run in the sixth when Bangs and Brandon Miller combined to load the bases on a hit batter and two walks. Boyd walked to make it 7-4.
The teams wrap their four-game slate April 22 in Columbia.
The Gamecocks came one win short of tying their record for consecutive wins in the series; they notched seven straight against Clemson from 1983-85. The Tigers own the series streak record with 12 victories in a row from 1961-66.
“I never really thought about the streak,” Tanner said. “I feel like since I’ve been at South Carolina, it’s been pretty even. So I’m glad we had a little bit of a streak going, but it’s over now.”
The teams return to action this Friday with formidable weekend series — Clemson against No. 10 Miami, USC at No. 14 Mississippi.
| USC | Clemson | ||||||||
| AB | R | H RB | AB | R | H RB | ||||
| Bradley rf/cf | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Freeman 2b | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Merrifield cf/3b | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Johnson cf | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Mack lf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Schaus lf | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Ebert 1b | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Paulsen 1b | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Crisp 3b/2b | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Parker dh | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Matthews dh/rf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Miller ss | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Dalles c | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Boyd rf | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Rihn 2b | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Pohl c | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wingo pr/2b | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Epps ph | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Roth ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Nester c | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Haney ss | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Stolz 3b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Thomas ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Totals 33 | 5 | 7 | 5 | Totals 31 | 7 | 9 | 7 | ||
| USC 011 110 001 — | 5Clemson 003 031 00X — | 7 |
CU 12. 2B — Bradley, Jr.(7); Matthews(2); Paulsen(11); Parker 2(4). HR —
Johnson(2). HBP - Mack; Schaus; Pohl. SH - Boyd(2); Stolz(5). SF —
Dalles(1); Boyd(1). SB — Merrifield(11); Mack 2(7); Wingo(2); Freeman(8);
Epps(3).
Westmoreland faced 2 batters in the 3rd.
R. Hinson faced 1 batter in the 4th.
Miller faced 2 batters in the 6th.
| USC | IP | H | R ER BB SO | ||||
| Westmoreland | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
| Casey L (0-1) | 2 | ð | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Bangs | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Miller | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Hopper | 1 | ð | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Medlin | 0 | ð | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clemson | IP | H | R ER BB SO | ||||
| Hinson | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | |
| Vaughn W (2-1) | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Gullickson | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Stoneburner Sv (1) | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
(POHL); by Bangs (SCHAUS). BK — Westmoreland(1).
| Umpires — HP: Head | 1B: Armstrong | 3B: Street |
| Time: 3:11 | Attendance: 5,865 |
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