SEGRA PARK: Clemson shortstop Andrew Ciufo, a New Yorker who transferred in from Georgetown, earned his place in the Tigers’ history book Saturday night with the program’s first ever walk-off home run against 19th ranked South Carolina. Ciufo’s solo blast in the bottom of the 12th lifted the 10th ranked Tigers to a 5-4 victory in the first game of the rain delayed series played at Segra Park in Columbia in front of 9240 fans.
Ciufo was not only a hero at the plate for Clemson, but his diving stop of a ground ball by Parker Noland in the top of the sixth, with two outs and runners on first and second, saved a 2-1 lead for the Tigers at that time.
After three scoreless innings, Cam Cannarella put Clemson on the board in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run double to left extending his hitting streak to 17 games. Will Tippett got the Gamecocks on the board in the top of the fifth with a solo home run.
Clemson built the lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the 8th with a two-run homer to left by Jacob Hinderleider. The Gamecocks, however, rallied with three in the ninth on an RBI triple by Blake Jackson and two-run homer by Ethan Petry.
USC threatened in the 11th inning when they got two aboard with two outs. Matthew Marchal came into the game to pitch for Clemson and induced a fly ball to center by Cole Messina.
Clemson went down in order in the bottom of the 11th, and the Gamecocks did likewise in the top of the 12th. In the bottom of the 12th, Garrett Gainey came back out to pitch for the Gamecocks. He had already worked three full innings. He struck out Alden Mathes for the first out, then Jimmy Obertop hit a long fly to the centerfield wall that was caught for the second out.
That brought Ciufo to the plate with two outs, and on a 2-0 pitch, he ripped the game winning blast over the center field wall for his 2nd home run of the season, and no doubt the biggest hit of his career.
Ciufo was 3-6 on the day to lead a 12-hit Clemson offense. USC had nine hits, drew four walks and was hit by pitches five times, but the Gamecocks struck out 14 times. They left 12 on base and were 2-13 with runners in scoring positions. Clemson stranded 11 and was 2-10 with runners in scoring position.
Marchal earned the win to improve to 2-0. Tristan Smith was excellent at the start for Clemson going five innings, allowing three hits and one run while striking out nine. Gainey took the loss for USC and is 0-1. Eli Jones started and allowed nine hits and two runs while striking out four over 4.1 innings.
Clemson improved to 8-1 with the win and the Gamecocks dropped to 7-2. Game two of the series will be Sunday afternoon at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
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