Just like football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball
South Carolina trounced Clemson 7-1 on Sunday, wrapping up a series win and joining football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball as Gamecocks teams collecting victories over the Tigers this academic year.
USC took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, when Braylen Wimmer doubled with one out and later scored on a single by Cole Messina. Clemson answered quickly, though, tying the game at 1-1 in the second when they scored their only run of the day courtesy of a single from Riley Bertram. The Cocks regained the lead in the bottom of the inning, going up 2-1 when Casas belted a leadoff homer.
Carolina gave themselves a little more breathing room in the fourth, scoring three more runs when Ethan Petry reached on an error with one out, then Casas and Talmadge LeCroy hit back-to-back homers to make it a 5-1 game. The Gamecocks added another run in the next inning, after Wimmer walked with one out and scored on a double by Caleb Denny to make the score 6-1, and the final run came in the eighth, when Dylan Brewer started things off with a double and later scored on a base hit by LeCroy.
South Carolina starter Jack Mahoney went four innings and allowed four hits and one run. He also walked two batters and struck out four. James Hicks also pitched in this game, going five innings and allowing two hits and no runs. He walked one batter, struck six out, and got the win, making him 3-0. Tigers starter Billy Barlow worked three innings and gave up three hits and two runs. He didn’t walk any batters, struck out two, and took the loss, making him 0-1.
Casas and LeCroy paced the Cocks at the plate with two hits each, while Casas also recorded three RBI. Six Clemson players had a hit, and Bertram tallied their only RBI.
USC improves to 11-1 on the season, while the Tigers drop to 5-6. The Gamecocks will be back in action on Tuesday, when they host the Citadel. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Founders Park.