Three Two-Run Homers Lift #4 Gamecocks to 6-3 Win Over #4 Clemson Friday

March 4, 2011

Columbia, SC –

Brady Thomas, Christian Walker, and Scott Wingo all hit two-run home runs to lift #4 South Carolina to a 6-3 win over #4 Clemson in front of 8,242 fans at Carolina Stadium on Friday night. The Gamecocks, who took a 1-0 lead in the series, improved to 8-0 overall. They also extended their winning streak to 14 games dating back to 2010. Clemson dropped to 6-2 overall and saw its five-game winning streak snapped.

The Tigers took advantage of a costly Gamecock error to score three unearned runs in the second inning, but three Gamecock long balls in the second, fifth, and eighth innings proved to be the difference.

Lefthander Michael Roth (3-0) pitched 7.0 strong innings to earn the win. He allowed seven hits, three unearned runs, and three walks with six strikeouts. Matt Price pitched the final 1.2 innings with three strikeouts to record his third save of the year.

Tiger starter Scott Weismann (2-1) suffered the loss, as he yielded six hits, four runs, and one walk with three strikeouts. The loss snapped Weismann’s eight-game winning streak dating back to 2010. He had also not suffered a loss in 11 straight starts.

The Tigers grabbed the game’s first lead in the top of the second inning. John Hinson reached on a fielding error by shortstop Peter Mooney. After Will Lamb struck out, Phil Pohl ripped a two-out double down over the third-base bag to score Shaffer and Hinson. Jason Stolz followed with a single up the middle to plate Pohl and give Clemson a 3-0 lead.

In the bottom of the second inning, Walker led off with a hit-by-pitch and Thomas followed with a two-run homer to right field, his first long ball of the season. The home run ended Clemson’s 25 innings pitched streak of not allowing an earned run.

The Gamecocks used the long ball again to take the lead for good in the fifth inning. Evan Marzilli led off with a single up the middle on a 1-2 pitch and moved to second on Adam Matthews’ sacrifice bunt. Two batters later with two outs, Walker belted a two-run homer to left field, his third home run of the year, to give the Gamecocks a 4-3 lead.

For the fourth inning in a row, the Tigers put their leadoff batter on base in the top of the eighth inning when Shaffer was hit by a 3-2 pitch. But Hinson struck out and Kieboom grounded into a double play to keep South Carolina ahead by a run.

The Gamecocks added two insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Jake Williams hit a one-out double down the left-field line and Wingo hit a two-run homer to right field, his second long ball of the season.

Five Gamecocks accounted for their nine hits in the game. Marzilli, Walker, Thomas, and Williams all had two hits apiece.

Pohl went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBIs, and a walk for Clemson, who had seven hits in the contest. The Tigers put five leadoff batters on base in the game, but they only crossed home plate in one of those five innings.

Clemson and South Carolina will play game-two of the weekend series on Saturday at 4:00 PM at Fluor Field in Greenville, SC. The game will be televised live by WMYA (My40) and will be available live via webcast at ESPN3.com.