South Carolina Rallies To Defeat Clemson, 9-8 In 12 Innings

April 20, 2000

COLUMBIA, S.C.-Marcos Rios drove in the winning run with a one out bases loaded single in the bottom of the 12th inning Wednesday night after number one ranked South Carolina twice remained alive in the late innings to defeat seventh ranked Clemson 9-8 and stretch the Gamecock win streak to 13 games.

South Carolina improved its record to 38-4 and Clemson fell to 32-10. Scott Barber, 6-1, the fifth South Carolina pitcher, worked the final three innings to get the win. Nick Glaser, 0-1, took the loss. Glaser, Clemson’s closer seeking his 12th save, came on in the ninth inning with the Tigers leading 7-5. He walked Brandon Pack with one out and Trey Dyson hit his fifth home run over the right centerfield fence to send the game into extra innings.

Jeff Baker hit his third homer of the season in the top of the 11th inning to give the Tigers an 8-7 lead, but South Carolina used a Clemson error to set up a tying run in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Justin Singleton dropped a fly ball by Brennan Dees. Dyson followed with an RBI double, his third extra base hit of the game, to send the game to the 12th inning.

John McHenry beat out an infield hit leading off the bottom of the 12th inning. Nate Janowicz bunted him to second base and Drew Meyer was intentionally walked. The runners moved to second and third on a passed ball and Dees was intentionally walked to load the bases. Rios, a reserve catcher who entered the game in the 11th inning as a pinch runner, lined the first pitch from Glaser into the left field gap for the game winner.

Ten days ago a pinch hit single by Rios in the bottom of the 11th inning produced a 7-6 Southeastern Conference win over Mississippi State. South Carolina’s only lead until the 12th inning came on an unearned run in the first inning. Clemson countered with an unearned run in the third. The Tigers took a 3-1 lead with two in the fourth inning but a two run home run by Drew Meyer, his eighth, tied it in the fifth.

Clemson scored three times in the sixth and once in the seventh to lead 7-3. South Carolina got one run back on an RBI double by Brandon Pack in the seventh inning and another on Chris Plummer home run, his fourth, in the eighth.

After Dyson’s homer tied it in te ninth, Jeff Baker hit his third homer for Clemson to give the Tigers the lead in the top of the 11th. Each team collected 14 hits. In addition to three by Dyson, Meyer, John

McHenry and Plummer had two hits. Henri Stanley and Singleton had three hits for Clemson with Brian Ellis and Ryan Riley contributing two each.