Gamecocks baseball team has a grand day, ties series with Northwestern

South Carolina rebounded from its first loss of the season for a 12-3 win over Northwestern on Saturday afternoon at Founders Park.

Wes Clarke hit two home runs and drove in a career-high seven runs to pace the 13-hit attack. Brett Kerry, who was battling an illness before the game, settled in after a shaky start to pitch six solid innings and improve to 2-0.

“We bounced back the way we challenged them to do today,” South Carolina coach Mark Kingston said. “Real good pitching, real good offense, real good defense. That’s how you want to see your team bounce back.”

Star of the game

Clarke has made the most of his six hits on the season — four of them have been home runs.

He collected three hits Saturday — a single in the first, a three-run home run in the second inning and a grand slam in the sixth.

“Every day I have to come with the mindset that I’m going to ball put and have my best game,” Clarke said. “After the tough loss (Friday), I had to clear my mind. Woke up and got the field early and felt good at the plate today.”

South Carolina trailed 1-0 after the top of first but scored three times in the bottom half of the inning. Clarke singled and came around to score on a two-out, two-run single by Jeff Heinrich. George Callil drove in the final run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Clarke delivered the key blow in a five-run second inning. He blasted a three-run shot just over the 380 sign in left-center to score Noah Campbell and Andrew Eyster. Callil again delivered with the bases loaded, this time a two-out, two-run single to give him three RBIs on the day.

Clarke added to his day in the sixth inning. Anthony Amicangelo doubled, Noah Campbell singled and Eyster was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Clark followed with his blast just in front of the Prisma Health sign in the tunnel in left field.

His four home runs ties him for the lead in the SEC.

Pitching rebounds

Kerry, who was ill earlier in the day, had a tough start to the game but settled in to earn his second win of the season.

The first three Northwestern batters reached base safely with a double, single and single that plated one run. But Kerry found a groove and was able to retire 13 of the next 15 batters he faced. The only two batters who reached were a two-out single in the second inning and one-out single on the third. He did allow solo home runs in the fifth and sixth innings.

The sophomore right-hander allowed three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and a walk in six innings.

“He was out there on guts. He didn’t have his good stuff,” Kingston said. “What you saw was a guy with big guts, a lot of savvy and a guy that found a way to get it done anyway.”

Beyond the box score

Other than the loss Friday when the Gamecocks were held to a season-low two runs, South Carolina has made a habit of fast starts. In six games this season, USC has outscored opponents 34-4 in the first three innings of games.

They collected eight runs Saturday on eight hits in the early going. South Carolina has scored 16 runs in the first inning this year, 11 in the second and seven in the third inning so far in games. Northwestern scored the first run of the first inning season Saturday for a USC opponent. The Gamecocks have allowed three runs in the second inning of games and none in the third.

WHEN DO THE GAMECOCKS PLAY NEXT?

Who: South Carolina (5-1) vs. Northwestern (2-3)

When: 1:30 p.m. Sunday

Where: Founders Park

TV: Streaming online on SEC Network Plus via WatchESPN

Radio: 107.5 FM in Columbia area

This story was originally published February 22, 2020 at 4:57 PM.