South Carolina was on the verge of getting swept at the hands of Vanderbilt, trailing by a run heading into the eighth inning. But the Gamecocks rallied with a double, bunt single, hit by pitch and a pair of sacrifice flies to overcome the Commodores, 6-5.
After being no-hit by Jack Leiter, Saturday, the Gamecocks found themselves down 4-0 after three innings of play in Game 3. Back-to-back homers from Brady Allen and Braylen Wimmer in the fourth inning cut the lead in half. Vanderbilt stretched the lead back to three with a run in the home half of the fourth before South Carolina answered with another pair in the top of the fifth.
The Gamecocks (12-6, 1-2) entered the eighth trailing 5-4 when Allen led off the inning with a double to left. Wimmer followed with a bunt single, leaving runners on the corners. Josiah Sightler was next hit by a pitch to load the bases. Wes Clarke’s fly out was deep enough to plate Allen with the tying run. David Mendham’s single again loaded the bases, this time for Andrew Eyster. Eyster, the hero of the Clemson series, flied out to center, driving home the speedy Wimmer with the go-ahead run.
Brett Kerry (2-0, 0.64), who had come on in relief for starter Julian Bosnic in the fourth, finished off the Commodores to nail down the Gamecocks’ first conference win.
South Carolina next returns home to face The Citadel at 7 p.m., Tuesday.
