FLUOR FIELD: Ethan Darden and Drew Titsworth shut out South Carolina for the first seven innings and finished with a combined five-hitter in a 5-1 victory over the Gamecocks Saturday afternoon at Flour Field in Greenville in front of 6983 fans. With the win, the Tigers clinched the win in the annual series for the third time in four seasons. They have won nine of the last 11 meetings with the Gamecocks. The win was also #190 all-time for Clemson against USC.
Both teams threatened in the first inning but came up empty. Dominic Listi doubled down the right field line on the third pitch of the game from Jake McCoy and went to third on an error by the right fielder Dalton Mashore. With one out, Cam Cannarella lofted a fly ball into mid left field. Kennedy Jones made the catch and fired a bullet to the plate to nail Listi for the third out.
In the bottom of the frame, USC loaded the bases with no outs against Darden. But Jones flew out, Talmadge LeCroy struck out and Max Kaufer grounded into a fielder’s choice at second to end the threat.
Darden would retire the next 13 Gamecock batters in order. McCoy was just as effective in keeping the Tigers off the scoreboard. He retired eight in a row until hitting Listi to lead off the fourth. He also yielded a two out single to put runners on the corners, but a strikeout of Collin Priest ended the inning.
Clemson finally got to McCoy in the top of the sixth. Listi led off with a walk, was bunted ahead to second, and scored on a Cannarella double to left center. Luke Gaffney followed with a tapper out in front of the plate. While LeCroy was making the play to first, Cannarella kept steaming around third and beat the throw home to make it 2-0.
The Gamecocks had their second chance to score on Darden in the bottom of the sixth putting runners on the corners with two outs, but Darden got LeCroy looking on a 2-2 pitch for the strike out to end the inning.
Darden also had to pitch around trouble in the bottom of the seventh. With one out Nolan Nawrocki reached on an error by shortstop Andrew Ciufo. Next up, pinch-hitter Ryan Bakes hit a fly ball to center that Cannarella misplayed for another effort. The Gamecocks had runners on first and second with one out and coach Paul Mainieri sent up Gavin Braland to pinch-hit for freshman third baseman KJ Scobey, and he promptly grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.
That would be all for Darden (2-0) who allowed three hits, struck out six and walked two. On came Titsworth and he yielded the Gamecocks’ lone run, a solo homer to left by Ethan Petry in the bottom of the eighth that made it a 2-1 game.
McCoy (1-1) had been replaced in the top of the seventh by Tyler Pitzer after giving up the two runs on three hits and striking out 12. Pitzer allowed just a walk through his first two innings, but he got touched up in the top of the ninth. The Tigers opened with a single and a walk. Jacob Jarrell then followed with a RBI single to center. to make it 3-1. Parker Marlatt replaced Pitzer and gave up a sac fly Tristan Bissetta and a RBI double to Jarren Purify to make it a 5-1 Clemson lead.
Max Kaufer doubled with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but Titsworth closed out the game to earn his second save by getting a strike out and a ground out.
Clemson had only six hits but half of them came with runners in scoring position while the Gamecocks were 0-8 with runners in scoring position. The Gamecocks were 1-6 in that category Friday night.
Clemson is now 9-1 and South Carolina is 9-2. The final game of the series will be Sunday at Founders Park in Columbia with a 5:00 PM first pitch. Justin LeGuernic will start for Clemson and Dylan Eskew will get the ball for USC.