Recap: Gamecocks drop thriller to Clemson, 8-7, in Greenville

South Carolina squared off with Clemson Saturday afternoon at Fluor Field in Greenville in Game 2 of the weekend rivalry series. Wil Crowe was on the mound for the Gamecocks. How did the Gamecocks fare?

FINAL: Clemson 8, South Carolina 7

LINESCORE

CLE (7-3) – 200 000 213 = 8-10-5

USC (7-4) – 100 121 002 = 7-12-0

WP – Ryley Gilliam (1-0)

LP – Reed Scott (0-1)

SV – None

HR – USC, Jonah Bride (5th, one on); CLE, Seth Beer (1st, one on), Cromwell (9th,none on)

RBI – Bride (4), Hopkins, Olson

LOB – USC 8, CLE 7

A – 7,460

Time – 3:27

Gamecock Pitchers: Wil Crowe (6.0), Colie Bowers (1.0), Tyler Johnson (1.1), Reed Scott (0.2)

HIGHLIGHTS

-- Wil Crowe made his third start of the season for the Gamecocks and quickly encountered problems in the top of the first. A leadoff single was followed two batters later by Seth Beer launching a no-doubt-it two-run homer over the RF fence. Crowe came into the game with a 0.79 ERA and one run allowed in 11.1 IP since returning from Tommy John surgery.

-- The Gamecocks got a run back in the bottom of the first when Justin Row tripled off the LF wall with one out. After a two-out walk, Jonah Bride delivered a clutch RBI single to left, scoring Rowe.

-- Trailing 2-1, the Gamecocks threatened in the bottom of the third with consecutive one-out singles by Justin Row (putting him halfway to the cycle) and Matt Williams. However, Olson fanned and Brice flied to right to end the inning.

-- With Crowe setting down the Tigers with precision, the Gamecocks finally evened the score in the bottom of the fourth when a single, catcher’s interference and infield single loaded the bases for Hopkins, who delivered a sacrifice fly to deep center. Destino scored to tie the score at 2-2.

-- The Gamecocks took the lead for the first time in the contest in the bottom of the fifth when Jonah Bride followed Olson’s triple off the centerfield wall with a towering two-run homer over the Green Monster in left field, giving USC a 4-2 lead.

-- Crowe retired 14 consecutive Clemson batters before issuing a two-out walk to Beer in the top of the sixth. However, a strikeout ended the inning. Only two Clemson batters reached base from the beginning of the second inning to the end of the sixth.

-- USC expanded the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the sixth as Hunter Taylor led off with a double off the centerfield fence and scored when Danny Blair reached on an infield single and moved to second when the Clemson second baseman’s low throw skipped past the first baseman.

-- Crowe took the mound for the top of the seventh, but was touched for a walk and RBI double off the CF wall to cut USC’s lead to 5-3. Colie Bowers replaced Crowe on the mound after that and gave up a single to the first Tigers batter he faced. The next CU batter stroked a sacrifice fly to cut USC’s lead to 5-4.

-- Looking for a six-out save from his ace close, Holbrook called upon Tyler Johnson at the beginning of the 8th inning. But a leadoff triple dented those plans. Johnson blew a fastball past Beer in a classic matchup of power vs. power, but the next CU batter singled sharply to CF to score the tying run (5-5). Clemson eventually stranded two runners as the final out was a deep fly to center.

-- Reed Scott replaced Johnson after one out and a 2-0 count the second CU batter of the inning. Scott surrendered a homer, single, single, intentional walk, bases loaded walk to the first 5 batters he faced. Another run scored on a fielder’s choice. Clemson took an 8-5 lead into the bottom of the 9th.

-- In the bottom of the ninth, Hopkins led off with a walk and moved to third on a throwing error. Olson drove him home with a RBI double to make it 8-6, Bride’s grounder slipped past the Clemson 3B for an error as Williams scored to make it 8-7. However, Olson was thrown out at the plate (7-2) as he tried to score the tying run. Destino took strike 3 to end the game.

HOW THE RUNS SCORED:

CLE 1st – Davidson singled to right, Rohkman flied to right, Beer homered to right (2 RBI), Pinder lined to right, Jolly struckout looking. TWO RUNS, TWO HITS (CU 2-0).

USC 2nd - Hopkins flied to center, Row tripled to left, Williams popped to second, Olson walked, Bride singled to left (RBI), Destino flied to left. 1 RUN, 2 HITs (CU 2-1).

USC 4th – Destino singled to center, Stokes reached on catcher’s interference, Taylor struckout swinging, Blair singled off pitcher, Hopkins hit sacrifice fly to center (RBI), Row popped to short. ONE RUN, TWO HITS (TIED 2-2).

USC 5th – Williams struck out looking, Olson tripled to center, Brice homered to left (2 RBI), Destino grounded to third, Stokes grounded to pitcher. TWO RUNS, TWO HITS (USC 4-2).

USC 6th – Taylor doubled to center, Blair singled to second and advanced to second on throwing error (E4)(Taylor scored), Hopkins struckout swinging, Row grounded to short, Williams struckout swinging. ONE RUN, TWO HITS (USC 5-2).

CLE 7th – Jolly walked, Cox doubled to left-center (RBI), <Bowers for Crowe>, Jackson singled to left, Byrd hit sacrifice fly to center (RBI), Cromwell struckout, Davidson flied to left. TWO RUNS, TWO HITS (USC 5-4).

CLE 8th – <Johnson for Bowers>, Rohlman tripled to right, Beet struckout swinging, Pinder singled to center (RBI), Pinder stole second, Jolly struckout swinging, Cox intentionally walked, Jackson flied to center. ONE RUN, TWO HITS (Tied 5-5).

CLE 9th – Byrd grounded to second, <Scott for Johnson>, Cromwell homered to right (RBI), Davidson singled to right, Rohlman singled to right, Beer intentionally walked, Pinder walked (RBI), Williams reached on fielder’s choice (6-4 at 2B)(RBI), Cox grounded to pitcher. THREE RUNS, THREE HITS (CU 8-5).

USC 9th - Hopkins walked, Row struck out looking, Williams singled to second base (Hopkins advanced to third on throwing error by 2B), Olson doubled to left (RBI), Bride reached on fielding error by 3B (E5)(Run scored) and Olson thrown out at home (7-2), Destino struck out looking. Game Over. 2 RUNS, 2 HITS (CLE 8-7).