South Carolina bounces back to take down Clemson, even series
Who knew all it would take to get South Carolina baseball’s offense going was a short drive across town?
A day after nearly getting no-hit by Clemson at home in Founders Park, the Gamecock lineup came alive at Segra Park in Columbia on Saturday, tallying an 8-5 win on 12 hits to even the rivalry series at a game apiece.
USC surpassed its Friday total of one hit within the first two innings Saturday and used a combination of power and timely small ball to break out of a mini-offensive funk and set up a decisive Game 3 on Sunday.
“There’s no magic formula,” USC coach Mark Kingston said. “The guy on the mound yesterday (Clemson starter Sam Weatherly) is gonna pitch in the big leagues, it’s pretty clear. And today was a new day, they had another quality guy on the mound, and I challenged our guys to be better. And they were.”
Beyond the box score
South Carolina was 5-for-11 with runners in scoring position and 16-for-23 in advancement opportunities.
After Clemson grabbed an early lead in the first with a walk, single, wild pitch and RBI groundout, the Gamecocks responded in the second inning with a two-out rally, as catcher Dallas Beaver singled and scored when junior outfielder Andrew Eyster laced a triple off the wall in deep right-center field, then Eyster scored off a bloop RBI single from junior third baseman Jeff Heinrich.
The Gamecocks also had three sacrifice bunts and two sacrifice flies on the day but got the long ball involved as well, as sophomore first baseman Wes Clarke launched a mammoth solo home run to lead off the fourth.
“They did a good job of finding ways to get runners on, runners over and runners in. And it seems like every time they got a leadoff man on base, they scored. ... They did a good job of carrying momentum offensively and putting together good at-bats,” Clemson coach Monte Lee said.
Key inning
With South Carolina holding a tenuous 4-2 lead heading into the seventh inning after Clemson got another RBI groundout, senior DH Bryant Bowen led off with a single, kicking off a stretch of three consecutive hits to add a run, followed by a sacrifice fly from Heinrich to plate some more valuable insurance. That turned out to be especially important after Clemson pitcher/DH Davis Sharpe launched a two-run home run the next inning.
“I think just being more consistent with our approach of making contacts and forcing the ball in play,” Bowen said of USC’s improved offense. “When you do that, you’re able to score eight runs like we did today.”
Stars of the game
Five different Gamecocks produced multi-hit games, but Jeff Heinrich was particularly clutch after hitting into a lot of bad luck early in the season. He went 2-for-3 with a team-high three runs driven in along with a pair of sacrifice hits.
Bryant Bowen was also key after sitting out the series opener, going 2-for-5 and driving in a run in the ninth with a single.
On the mound, junior Thomas Farr made his first weekend start after coach Mark Kingston shuffled his rotation to bolster the bullpen. And after a shaky first inning, Farr looked good as he continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery. He allowed just two hits, one walk and one earned run in five innings, while striking out three.
“Maybe the first inning, I was a little nervous. That’s definitely the biggest crowd I’ve ever pitched in front of in my life,” Farr said of the 8,986 in attendance. “After the first inning, I kind of settled in and I was ready to go.”
The guy Farr replaced in the rotation, sophomore Brett Kerry, came in to close the game after the Tigers put two on with one out. After loading the bases and walking in a run to send the go-ahead run to the plate, Kerry bounced back to finish the game and get the save.
When do South Carolina and Clemson play next?
Who: South Carolina (7-3) vs. Clemson (8-2)
When: 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Doug Kingsmore Stadium, Clemson
Watch: Streaming online on ACC Network Extra via WatchESPN
Radio: 107.5 FM in Columbia area (Clemson affiliates | South Carolina affiliates)
Probable starters: South Carolina’s Brannon Jordan (Jr. RHP, 1-0, 1.64 ERA) vs. Clemson’s Spencer Strider (RSo. RHP, 0-0, 0.00 ERA)
This story was originally published February 29, 2020 at 6:23 PM.
