CLEMSON -- In a pitching and defense-dominated game in which just two runs were scored, the difference between South Carolina and Clemson was minimal.
But the Gamecocks made the pitches and defensive plays when they had to in their 2-0 victory, while two errors by Clemson in the top of the sixth led to a pair of unearned runs for the Gamecocks and that was the difference in the game.
USC starter Clarke Schmidt worked 5.2 innings for his second victory of the season, but he did it the hard way with seven walks.
Schmidt’s bout with wildness was surprising considering he walked just three batters in his first 13.0 innings this season and had a strikeout-to-walk ratio of close to 5-to-1.
His previous career single game high for walks? 4.
His savior? Three 6-3 double plays turned by shortstop Madison Stokes in the first, fourth and fifth innings. Clemson stranded 11 runners and understandably left Doug Kingsmore Stadium feeling a bit frustrated.
But that’s baseball, and an impressive Harry Houdini escape act authored by Schmidt.
After Holbrook elected to lift Schmidt and go to the bullpen, Josh Reagan and Tyler Johnson, throwing his usual heat, slammed the door on the Tigers, allowing just one hit and a walk in 3.1 innings.
Johnson touched 97-98 miles per hour on the stadium radar during his 19-pitch outing in the ninth inning.
With each outing, Johnson’s draft stock rises a notch or two in the first round.
“We think he’s one of the best in college baseball,” Chad Holbrook said afterwards. “He is one of those unique guys that throws an upper 90’s fastball with great command. That’s very rare. He’s worked very hard to put himself in this position. He has a great demeanor about him. He throws strikes. You have to beat Tyler. He usually doesn’t walk you. It’s very comforting to have that at the end of the game.”
Because of USC’s timely pitching and defense, they somehow managed to win a game despite collecting just three hits.
Makes up, I guess, for the 1-0 loss to UNCG on Feb. 19 when USC inexplicably failed to complete the opening series sweep despite allowing only one hit.
“We feel very fortunate to have won,” Holbrook said. “Clemson battled and competed in the batter’s box a little better than we did tonight. We just had a couple of breaks go our way. We capitalized on a couple of mistakes.”
Pitching was supposed to be USC’s strength coming into the season, and Friday night’s win did nothing to change that perception.
USC allowed one or zero runs for the fourth time in 10 games, and four or fewer runs for the seventh time. Opponents have scored as many as five runs just three times.
“Our pitchers were outstanding,” Holbrook said. “We pitched out of some tough jams and got some big double plays. All in all, it’s a big win. Anytime you come to Clemson and win, it’s a big win. But I am a tad disappointed in my team because I think we can play better and compete better in the batter’s box and be a better hitting team than what we showed tonight.”
Wil Crowe, Saturday’s starting pitcher for the Gamecocks, has allowed seven hits with 16 strikeouts in 11.1 innings in his first two starts this season.
Friday night’s three hits were a season low for the Gamecocks, and the fewest since collecting four hits in the series finale against UNCG.
“We’ll have to play much better the rest of the weekend if we want to win another game against Clemson,” Holbrook said. “As Coach Spurrier used to say, the good Lord smiled on the Gamecocks tonight. Right now, we are relying too much on our pitchers and our defense. We need to help them out a little more.”
