Schmidt, Destino power Gamecocks past Clemson 8-1 in series opener
South Carolina’s baseball team was understandably amped up for Friday night’s series opener against rival Clemson at Founders Park.
Gamecocks coach Chad Holbrook described his team as being “uptight” early in the game, but a stellar performance from starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt and a breakout fifth inning loosened things up as USC defeated Clemson 8-1.
“It wasn’t easy,” Holbrook said. “You can sit here and say 8-1 is easy, but I didn’t feel that way. Offensively they can put five or six or seven runs up in a hurry. I never really felt comfortable, but when Clarke starts locating his pitches, you get a sense that he’s going to be tough to beat, and he did that in the middle innings.”
Schmidt (3-0) threw eight shutout innings, striking out a career-high nine batters. He allowed five hits and hit three batters in his longest outing as a Gamecock.
South Carolina broke up a pitchers duel with a five-run fifth inning that included three Clemson errors. First baseman Alex Destino, who was 5-for-5 on the night, drove in two in the fifth with a single.
“This is a city that we’re bred to not like that team in orange,” Destino said. “It’s very exciting to have five hits regardless who we’re playing. The fact that it was against Clemson, and our fans are really into that, that was a big step for me.”
Clemson starter Charlie Barnes (1-1) pitched five innings, allowed seven hits and struck out four. Three of his six runs allowed were earned. For the Tigers (6-2), Seth Beer connected for a solo home run in the ninth inning off USC reliever Reed Scott for their lone run.
Destino drove in runs in the first, fifth and eighth innings. Third baseman Jonah Bride had two hits and two RBIs, while second baseman L.T. Tolbert also had an RBI.
The Gamecocks (10-0) took the series lead in front of a sellout crowd of 8,242, the first of the season and 44th in stadium history. Getting a Friday night win against Clemson is huge, Schmidt said.
“Any series it’s big, but this one especially,” he said. “Last year we were down and had to fight back. When you get a win like this, you’ve got to keep pushing. It adds a little bit of a cushion. If we keep this momentum going we’ll be in a good place by the end of the weekend.”
THREE POINTS
Stars of the game: Sophomore Clarke Schmidt handled things on the mound for USC, bouncing back from early-inning jams and then retiring the final nine batters he faced. Sophomore Alex Destino had five hits, a career best, and drove in four runs.
Play of the game: A one-out catcher’s interference call against Clemson’s Chris Okey in the fifth inning helped kick-start the Gamecocks’ big inning. Center fielder Danny Blair’s bat hit Okey’s glove on the swing on what appeared destined to be a strikeout pitch.
Stat of the game: 3. Clemson had three errors in the fifth, contributing to the Gamecocks’ five-run effort in the inning.
OBSERVATIONS
Run, Jonah, run: Jonah Bride provided an unexpected highlight after falling down while rounding third base in the fifth inning. He scored easily on a Destino single after Clemson third baseman Adam Renwick fielded a throw with his back to home plate and didn’t turn around in time to notice Bride had tripped.
Destino’s confidence rises: Destino has settled in at the plate after a slow start to the season. After his five-hit day, he raised his batting average from .268 to .348.
Crowd brings the noise: There was no Jack Leggett for USC fans to give a hard time, but the sellout crowd was as loud as it’s been all season, and it helped that the Gamecocks gave them something to cheer about.
NEXT
What: South Carolina vs. Clemson, Game 2
When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 5
Where: Fluor Field, Greenville
Probable pitchers: USC, Braden Webb (Fr. RHP, 2-0, 1.80 ERA, 10 IP, 4 hits, 6 BB, 10 Ks) vs. CU, Clate Schmidt (Sr. RHP, 2-0, 3.00 ERA, 12 IP, 11 hits, 4 BB, 9 Ks)
Watch: ClemsonTigers.com
Radio: 107.5 FM in the Columbia area
This story was originally published March 4, 2016 at 9:57 PM.