Gamecocks and Eyster abandon Tigers again to win series

South Carolina wins the series. (Photo courtesy CUAD)

Andrew Eyster and the Gamecocks did it again, moving away from the Tigers at the end of the last round.

The day after winning 3-2 in a walk-off single from Eyster at the bottom of the 11th, Eyster hit a single to mark the winning streak at the bottom of the ninth while No. 17 in South Carolina defeated Clemson by 8- 7 on Sunday afternoon at Founders Park.

Clemson Reliever Evan Estridge has been sandwiched around two outs, but he gave up the winning hit for Eyster. South Carolina improves to 6-0 with the win and wins the series of the season. Clemson drops to 3-2 with the loss. The final game of the series will be played on May 11 at Clemson’s Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

The Tigers wasted no time in jumping for quick leadership. Bryar Hawkins drew two out out at the top of the first and even scored in a double for center left by James Parker, giving Clemson the 1-0 lead.

Red-hot Wes Clarke homered in a 1-1 throw at the bottom of the third to tie the score 1-1 and remained so until the top of the fifth.

Dylan Brewer took a walk on a 3-2 field to lead the inning, and with an outside Hawkins chose on the right to move Brewer to third. Hawkins stole second place with two eliminated, and Jonathan French then, with a two-race double to the right that gave the Tigers a 3-1 advantage.

The lead did not last long as the Gamecocks chased the starter Ty Olenchuk at the bottom of the frame. Braylen Wimmer homered to lead inning, and later inning Clarke hit a three-stroke shot to give Gamecocks a 5-3 lead.

Olenchuk threw 4 1/3 innings, giving up two runs while not walking and eliminating six. Reliever Mat Clark gave up most of the damage, being marked by three runs in just 12/3 innings.

The seventh was a great inning for the Tigers. Davis Sharpe walked to lead the inning, but was forced into second place on the grounder by Hawkins. Parker then chose the left field and French walked to load the bases with an out. Hitter Alex Urban was safe in a single that scored Hawkins to make it 5-4.

Hitter Regan Reid tied a single to the center, scoring French and Parker to make it 6-5 Clemson. Max Wagner executed a perfect squeeze bunt that marked Urban, and Clemson led 7-5.

Gamecocks took advantage of a pitch error in the bottom half of the inning to score two runs, however, drawing the game 7-7.

Tigers were the beneficiaries of a stroke of luck at the top of the ninth. Parker led the inning and hit a high fly into the center, and it looked like the wind moved the ball enough to make center-back Noah Myers drop it by mistake.

French hit back, but Urban threw a single to the right to put runners first and second with one eliminated. The Gamecocks went to the bullpen, replacing Andrew Peters with Will Sanders. Reid reached the choice of a fielder who forced Reid, but took Parker to third with two outs. A ball in the air ended the threat, however, leaving the game tied at 7-7.

South Carolina plays at Winthrop (the Gamecocks hosted the Eagles last week and won 12-4) on Tuesday and then host Mercer in a series of three games starting on Friday. The Tigers host East Tennessee Stadium at 4pm on Tuesday, then begin the ACC game on Friday with a series of three home games against Notre Dame.

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