Clemson’s confidence is high going into ACC action
After Game 1 of the annual Clemson-South Carolina rivalry series Friday in Columbia, the home team looked undoubtedly like the best team in the state.
The Gamecocks scored eight runs on 12 hits and held the Tigers to just a solo home run by Seth Beer in the ninth inning.
There was no reason to believe South Carolina wouldn’t at least take the series. After all, since the teams began playing a three-game set in 2010, the winner of Game 1 has gone on to claim bragging rights for the weekend.
Not this time.
Clemson picked itself off the mat Friday night and won 5-0 Saturday and 4-1 Sunday behind stellar pitching performances to win the series for the second consecutive season.
Clemson (8-2) made three errors and walked three batters in Game 1. After that, the Tigers had just one defensive miscue and five walks the rest of the series.
“We only had three innings in the whole ballgame (Sunday) where we got the leadoff guy on,” Clemson coach Monte Lee said. “Two of those were the third and fourth via the (hit-by-pitch) and the walk. When you win the freebie battle, you tend to win the ballgame. That was the difference for us. It all starts on the mound.”
The Gamecocks scored 86 runs in their first 10 games, all wins, but went 2-of-18 with runners on base in the two losses. Clemson allowed only two leadoff hitters to reach during that span.
In the Game 2 shutout, senior Clate Schmidt didn’t give up a hit through five innings, and reliever Pat Krall only allowed one base runner the rest of the game. In the series finale, reliever-turned-starter Alex Eubanks dominated the Gamecocks, holding their bats to one run on six hits through 7 1/3 innings in his first career start.
“It makes it easier for us as hitters,” sophomore center fielder Chase Pinder said about Clemson’s pitching staff. “When they go out and do their best and throw strikes, put up zeros, it takes a lot off me and it takes a lot off the lineup. It obviously makes us play to the best of our abilities.”
Despite giving up six runs (three earned) in Game 1, Charlie Barnes’ coach still has a lot of confidence in his Friday night starter. On the season, the Tigers have a team earned run average of 1.92, and their holding hitters to a .209 average. They'll take that into another critical week. Clemson hosts Winthrop (7-5) on Wednesday at 4 p.m. before beginning ACC play with a three-game set at Wake Forest (9-3) on Friday at 6 p.m. Lee heads into that series knowing a lot more about his team than a week ago.
“To lose on a Friday night and then win the next two, I think it says a lot about our team,” Lee said. “Our guys didn’t panic.”