Baseball
NO.10 CLEMSON BEATS NO.12 SOUTH CAROLINA 5-4 AGAIN TO TAKE PALMETTO SERIES
- 2024-03-18 00:58:12
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CLEMSON, SC - Wow, another fantastic ball game! Last night's game was one for the ages, with the Tigers hitting their first-ever walk-off HR to beat the Gamecocks in the 334th meeting of the best rivalry in college baseball. Bakich told us last night that it felt like a Super Regional, and today was more of the same! Incredible sellout crowd here at DKS, and they had fireworks for the first time out by the Cajun Cafe! Unlike last night when the Tigers never trailed, this was a back and forth game. The Gamecocks took a 2-0 lead in the first with a HR by Messina off the freshman Knaak. Taylor hit his team-leading 4th HR in last 3 games to make it 2-1. The Gamecocks added a run, and the Tigers tied it 3-3 with 2 runs in the 4th, set up by a perfect sac bunt by Mathes. Obertop drove in a run after the bunt, and last night's hero, Ciufo, came up big again with a 2-out single to tie the game. The Tigers went up 4-3 on a HR by Nawrocki, another New Yorker like Ciufo, and got a big insurance run in the 8th with a leadoff HR by Wright. That proved to be the winning run because the Gamecocks hit a 2-run HR in the 9th off Austin Gordon. It was Gordon's season debut, and the Gamecocks would bring the go-ahead run to the plate, but LeCroy grounded out on the first pitch to end the game.
Bakich was a few outs away from winning the Palmetto Series last year, but the pen blew a late lead in game 2, so this is his first Palmetto Series win as the Tigers' head coach. He told us that they will likely make up Friday night's game on a midweek night sometime in April. Would be huge if the Tigers could sweep! The Tigers have won 7 of the last 10 series over the Gamecocks. They improved to 9-1 on the season.
I'll have post-game interviews posted shortly!
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