Since 2021, Clemson has claimed victory over South Carolina in five consecutive matches. However, during today’s game in Greenville, the two teams were neck-and-neck with a score of three runs each until the end of the sixth inning. The excitement of the match had fans on the edge of their seats.
During the top of the fifth inning, Clemson gained an advantage with three runs thanks to a single from Chad Fairey that allowed Ben Blackwell and Will Taylor to score. Ingle followed up with a ground ball that resulted in a double play but still allowed Fairey to score.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, USC made an impressive comeback and evened out the score with three runs of their own.
During the top of the seventh inning, Cooper Ingle managed to bring in another run for Clemson, scoring Chad Fairey and putting the team ahead 4-3. The Tigers then went on to score an additional three runs in the same inning, leading to a breakthrough moment for the team with a score of 7-3 at the middle of the seventh.
However, USC did not let Clemson’s lead last long. During the bottom of the seventh inning, they managed to score five runs, including a three-run home run by Carson Hornung, resulting in USC leading 8-7 by the end of the inning.
During the eighth inning, USC continued to pull ahead, scoring an additional three runs, including a two-run home run by Cole Messina. The game ended with USC in the lead at 11-9.
Throughout the game, Clemson utilized six different pitchers, including Tristan Smith who made his first start of the season and had a strong performance, allowing only two hits and no runs in 4.2 innings and achieving five strikeouts.
“Tristian Smith pitched his butt off today! Super proud of him”
Chad Fairey
Clemson pitchers had a strong performance during their win on Friday, with only three hit batters throughout the entire game. However, during their recent match against USC, the pitching struggled with six walks and four hit batters. This definitely said Coach Bakich played a significant role in Clemson’s loss, as it gave USC more opportunities to score and ultimately take the lead said Coach Bakich. It’s clear that the pitching will need to work on their accuracy in future games to prevent similar losses.
Now, Clemson will have to regroup and focus on the rubber match in Columbia Sunday at Founders Park at 1:30.
