Four USC pitchers combined on a three-hitter, and Wes Clarke hammered his 20th homer of the season as the Gamecocks defeated Appalachian State 2-0 Tuesday night at Founders Park to close out their non-SEC slate. The win is the 4th in a row for the Gamecocks who will take a 32-18 record into this week’s showdown with fourth ranked Tennessee.
CJ Weins started and earned his first career victory for the Gamecocks. He did not allow a hit over the first four innings. He struck out six and walked two. John Gilreath, Daniel Lloyd and Will Sanders finished up. Gilreath gave up a pair of hits and Lloyd one. Sanders earned his first save of his career with perfect ninth inning.
How sharp were the Gamecock pitchers? 78 of their 109 pitches (71.6%) were for strikes.
Clarke provided the Gamecocks with the only run they would need with his solo homer in the first. He’s the ninth Gamecock to reach the 20 home run mark in a season. Brady Allen delivered the only other run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
