South Carolina is in a familiar position to win the series opener against Clemson, but Gamecocks are not always the best of luck in closing the series with a victory. Gamecocks (5-0) have won nine of the last 11 opening games in the series between the two sides since 2010.
This is the last game of the weekend between the teams and head coach Mark Kingston will become the typical Saturday entry Brannon Jordan to the beginning. Jordan did not make a decision in his first season start, giving up four races, three that were won, in four entries against Dayton.
Gamecocks will have a slightly different schedule today, as Jeff Heinrich goes to the bank and Josiah Sightler goes to the outer field.
South Carolina
CF Brady Allen
3B Brennan Milone
DH Wes Clarke
1B David Mendham
RF Andrew Eyster
LF Josiah Sightler
Ç Colin Burgess
2B Braylen Wimmer
WL George Callil
Clemson
RF Dylan Brewer
DH Davis Sharpe
3B Bryar Hawkins
WL James Parker
C Jonathan French
LF Alex Urban
2B Pierce Gallo
1B Caden Grice
CF Bryce Teodosio
NINTH ENTRY: Myers is unable to get a soft liner to the center of Parker. E8. French Ks in a bunt, but Urban hits a single and that will end the day for Peters, giving way to Sanders. Sanders receives a weak ball, but it is too far to Wimmer’s left. He gloves, spins and throws to the second to take the strength. An incredible move, and one he missed at the start of the game. Clemson asks that it be reviewed for Callil leaving the base. It is revised and maintained quickly. And Sanders gives Eyster a break to the left to close the door. Two nights in a row. … Order start for Gamecocks. Allen is working on an initial walk against the new RHP Estridge. Milone above. No bunt yet. I probably wouldn’t see why that would just mean putting Clarke on the base. The first pitch called a strike that looked at me. The fastball paints the outer corner. Complete count. He flies to the runway in the center. I got a good deal of it, but not enough. Clarke up. I think you have to pitch it to him. You cannot place the winning race in the scoring position. First loud tone and out of the zone. A quick 1-1 ball misses outside. Another misses loudly and far. He walks in a pitch on the land. Mendham fans in the first field change. Prevents another. He goes on strikes. That Andrew Eyster guy. A 1-0 shot aligned to the right field. Ball game. Cara is just phenomenal. Carolina wins 8-7
EIGHT INNING: This is a great location for Peters who is facing the top of the order. But, shoot. It hits Brewer swinging on a fastball, then Sharpe looking. Hawkins exits to the right to close the entrance. That was easy. … Pandya enters and causes Burgess to jump to the center to start the entrance. Wimmer tries to knock down another bunt, but is thrown out half a step. Callil fouls the third to end the entry. Result tied 7-7
SEVENTH TIME: Luensmann inside. Myers to the center, Eyster to the left, Allen to the right. Luensmann misses loudly and outside with a full-throwing shot for Brewer. Sharpe gets up, and he hits a rocket at Mendham, who jumps him and shoots Callil at one. The relay back to Luensmann was simply not working. One against, one down, 2-0 counts for Parker. Make it 3-0. A single line drive to the left puts two forward and one down, and Daniel Lloyd will face French. Yeck. Mendham misses a pop foul. A 2-2 shot misses. I wanted that call. The Frenchman goes up and out of the zone on the tenth pitch. Only internal field that is not in Wimmer’s glove. I didn’t think there would be a problem with the transition back to the inner field for him. I was wrong. The hitter Reid lines up a single to the center to bring two more runs. Tigers now at the top with corridors around the corners and one below. Peters enters and Wagner pushes a butt on the first baseman. Mendham tries to get home, but he doesn’t make it in time. Another race. Peters K is a man, so Burgess takes the guy from second base. Inning difficult, but Peters’s good job again. … RHP Hughes in tone. He’s, uh, deliberate. Allen jumps to the right. Milone reaches an E5. That brings Clarke, who goes after 0-2. But then it tears a fast ball that has too much of the plate towards the center. Only one. : shrugs: Mendham strives. Change, change. 0-2. He jumps a 1-2 pitch to the right side. Hit Sharpe’s glove and go to the shallow right. This plans a race and puts two ahead with one for Eyster. Go ahead of Eyster 0-2. Fastball looks heavy from here. Eyster hits a ball in the middle. It would have been a difficult move anyway, but the ball hits the bag and bounces into the center. This ties the score. Myers, who was previously on defense, stood up. He tries to bunt, but it doesn’t work. For most, he plays in a 4-6-3 routine, but he is fast enough to win the relay. The problem is that the referee judged (and confirmed in the review) that Eyster eliminated the shortstop. Automatic exit at the beginning. Result tied 7-7
SIXTH INPUT: One pitch, one for Mahoney. Wagner, who took Grice’s place in the last entry and is playing in third base (Sharpe changed from DH to 1B), is going to the plate and going 1-1 in the count. Slow roll towards the third. Milone doesn’t seem to be able to pull the glove well. He looks like he’s playing the ball with his palm. Mendham cannot distinguish it from the land. Teodosio loses to first base. That will suffice for Mahoney, who makes way for Jackson Phipps to the southpaw in the southpaw clash with Brewer. Five shots, three hits. Phipps does its job. … Burgess jumps to the third line, but Wimmer reaches the base by pushing a bunt to the first base line. The guy can hit a 120 meter ball and make a perfect bunt. Wimmer is caught by the launcher. He is caught stealing because he was fleeing to second base. Callil falls in attacks to end the shift. Carolina leads 5-3
FIFTH INNING: Jordan returns to the mound and is behind Brewer 3-0. He works for 3-2, but he misses and that will end his day. Mahoney enters and makes Sharpe go to Wimmer on Monday. The perfectly executed Hawkins hit-and-run puts the runners in the corners with one of them down. Parker up. It goes down swinging I think it was a divider, maybe. Change maybe. Two have already gone. The runner is second without a shot, while Mahoney goes 0-2 for the Frenchman. Mahoney’s 95 mph FB misses just low to go 2-2. He directs the same shot that Parker landed on Eyster’s head in the right field. Dishes two with double. Urban’s solo for the second entry finish. … Braylen Wimmer, first shot fast, bomb straight into the center. Callil goes to great lengths to place it at the top of the order. That will end the day for Olenchuk, who leaves with no chance of winning. Mat Clark enters. He gives up consecutive singles for Allen and Milone to the left field, bringing Clarke. Clark on the hill is going after him with 88 mph fastballs, and Clarke goes through two of them. The count goes from 2 to 2 in an outside FB that missed. They try to catch you with a quick ball. He enters, but Clarke takes him out. That guy. Alive man. What he’s doing is really impressive. Mendham jumps out. Eyster up and aligns a double field 2-2 to the right. Sightler hits another ball on the screws on the right, which is caught. Another good piece for him, but another one out. #ChickenDingers, tho. Carolina leads 5-3
INNING ROOM: Jordan returns to the mound and begins Urban with a ball for the attack. Then he commits a quick ball back. Wimmer, moving to the right, places a ball on the floor, but is unable to balance to launch. Strange, strange game. It is a success. Rapid ball at the thigh level rocked by Gallo for the first exit of the turn bringing Grice. I don’t know where that 2-1 shot failed, but Blue said. Jordan comes back to attack him in a fastball, and Callil can’t handle a Burgess jump shot, so Urban is safe in the second when he should be out. Jordan ahead of the nine-hole hitter Teodosio 1-2. 3-2. Don’t miss this guy. Go down looking for a quick ball in the inner corner to finish the inning. … Brewer makes a dive capture on a 2-2 liner off Eyster’s bat to start the entry. Sightler hits the bolts with a quick, but direct ball at Brewer. Burgess fouls out of three 0-2 shots, including just missing a double in the right corner of the field, but falls to hit a ball to finish the inning. Result 1-1
THIRD INNING: Jordan started off badly for the inning, riding with the nine-hole hitter Teodosio in a full-scoring pitch after 2-2, falling behind Brewer and giving up a one-two on the right field wall. Burgess with quite a block in a 0-2 shot to Sharpe to keep the runners where they are. Callil picks up a pop-up. One down. Jordan is playing a lot of curved 12-6 balls today, and he has Hawkins looking at one for the second exit. Parker up. Great time point here for both guys. After falling behind 3-1, the Gamecocks intentionally placed Parker. Meade leaves for a visit, and Jordan makes it 0-2 with a broken ball and a quick hit for France. Then, raise a fast ball and make it spin to finish the inning. Big punch from Burgess as Jordan walks calmly off the hill. … Olenchuk making everything very easy. He receives a ball on Allen’s floor for the third, then rolls Milone in three shots. He’s hitting the zone working in and out. I’ll take credit for bad luck. Throwing out of speed, down into the zone, halfway to the batter’s eye in the center. Draw ball game. It felt like a change. Go ahead of Mendham 0-2. He hits one on the track, but takes the left to end the shift. Result tied 1-1
SECOND INNING: Jordan returns to the mound and gives a quick jump to Milone, who takes it right in front of the mound. It goes from 0 to 2 for Gallo. He assembles a beautiful club, but eventually hits it. Grice goes down from 0-2 taking a ball to break and then a fast ball. Then it passes through a fast ball. … Eyster falls with a fast positive ball from Olenchuk. He has put some MPHs on his fastball since the last time I saw him. Sightler also falls for attacks. Burgess and Wimmer play two single hits to the outside field, but Callil falls in a three-shot stroke to close the entry. Clemson leads 1-0
FIRST TIME: Brannon Jordan to the mound and it is easy to see that this referee has a real attack zone. Brewer makes the count complete, making a few shots, including a 2 to 2 shot that was close. But it makes Brewer swing through a fast ball, so Sharpe goes to second position. Walks Hawkins in four shots, however. They really weren’t close. Allen challenged early and cannot get there. Parker with a direct line to the deep left center. He tries to hit, but the ball bounces on his glove. Sightler can’t corner him and he certainly doesn’t look like an outfielder over there. Tigers win early. Jordan is ahead of the French 1-2 in the count. The dribbler back on the hill turns first to leave. … Allen up, and he’s the first pitch swinging a bit like a strong hopper back into the mound, but Olenchuk makes the game easily. Milone hits a ball on the ground on the third base line. Nice defensive stab, but a very wide shot. Grice, who is six feet tall, is unable to hold the bag. Mistake. Clarke comes down looking for a change in a 2-2 field. Mendham, after a 2-2 draw, jumps out to end the inning. Clemson leads 1-0