South Carolina baseball: Gamecocks take two from Clemson over the weekend
By Jacob Elsey
South Carolina baseball took the series from rival Clemson over the weekend.
The South Carolina baseball team is off to a hot start in the 2021 season. After sweeping Dayton in the season opening series and defeating Winthrop mid week, the Gamecocks took the first two games of its rivalry matchup with Clemson.
With the wins, the squad is off to a 6-0 start, and the last two victories couldn’t have come in more dramatic fashion.
Friday night’s game in Clemson was postponed due to rain, and will be made up in a mid week matchup this May. After the short hiatus, the two foes travelled to Greenville to play in a neutral site contest on Saturday.
Game one was a pitching duel, with Carolina and Clemson arms combining for 37 strikeouts. Tiger starter Davis Sharpe led the way with a 10 K performance in just four short innings. South Carolina’s Thomas Farr matched Sharpe’s showing, allowing just one run over six innings of work.
The game went into the ninth with the Gamecocks leading 2-1, when Clemson knotted the score with a leadoff homerun off the bat of James Parker. Parker accounted for both of the Tigers’ runs, also knocking an RBI single in the fourth inning.
The two teams remained scoreless over the next two frames, but the fireworks erupted in the bottom of the 11th. With two men on and one out, Andrew Eyster sent a 1-2 pitch back up the middle for an RBI single to give the Gamecocks a walk off win in the opener.
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That set the stage for a back and forth Sunday that saw five lead changes and 15 runs. Clemson took the early advantage, with Parker, again, getting to Gamecock pitching. His two-out double pushed in the first run of the game.
The Gamecocks quickly struck back with a homer by Wes Clarke, one of his two on the day. That tied the game at 1-1.
Clemson then took another lead in the fifth, but it was short lived after Clarke drilled a three-run bomb in the bottom of the inning to put the Gamecocks up 5-3.
Clemson bounced back with a four-run seventh inning, but South Carolina answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame, again tying the game, this time at 7-7. That set the stage for Eyster, who would come through for a second consecutive night.
With two on and two out, the outfielder belted a 1-0 pitch off the right center wall to drive in the winning run, and give the Gamecocks a series victory.
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PLAYERS OF THE WEEKEND
Will Sanders
Sanders notched two wins in relief over the weekend, quieting the Clemson bats in late game appearances. The freshman came into both contests in tight spots, with the Gamecocks blowing late leads, but he halted any Clemson momentum by shutting down the Tigers over 1.2 scoreless innings of work.
Sanders was named SEC Freshman of the Week for his performances.
Wes Clarke
Clarke went 4-for-9 with two home runs and five runs batted in over the weekend. The junior leads the nation in batting average (.636), long balls (8), and RBIs (17). He’s been awarded national player of the week honors following each of the season’s first two series.
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Andrew Eyster
Last, but certainly not least, is Eyster. And how could he not be on the list?? Back to back walk off hits in college baseball’s top rivalry is enough on its own, but the senior also tallied five hits over his 11 weekend at bats, knocking in three runs and helping the Gamecocks secure a series win.
UP NEXT
The Gamecocks travel to Rock Hill Tuesday night where they’ll take on instate foe Winthrop. South Carolina took down the Eagles last week by a score of 12-4. The Gamecocks hit seven home runs in that game, three of which came off the bat of Wes Clarke.
First pitch is set for 6 PM with lefty Josiah Sighter earning the start.