South Carolina Holds on for 8-6 Win over Clemson

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CLEMSON, SC -- After two previously futile attempts to knock off their in-state

rival, South Carolina finally got the best of Clemson Wednesday night.

The seventh-ranked Gamecocks (29-8) scored three unearned runs in the fifth

inning to erase a 5-4 deficit and defeated the No. 1 Tigers, 8-6, in front of

a sellout crowd at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

Clemson is now 31-5.

South Carolina's fifth-inning break came courtesy of losing pitcher Steve

Reba (8-1), who came on in relief of starter Jeff Hourigan in the previous

inning. With two outs and runners on second and third, USC's Drew Meyer hit a

slow roller to the right of the mound that Reba bobbled. When he recovered

his throw to first was too late to get Meyer, and a run scored to tie the

game at 5-5.

Steve Thomas then followed with a two-run double off Reba to make it 7-5.

Reba finally ended the inning by getting Yaron Peters to ground out to short.

Clemson's Khalil Greene cut the lead to 7-6 with a long solo home run to

centerfield in the sixth, but that would be the Tigers' final hit until the

ninth.

South Carolina added an insurance run in the eighth inning when Justin Harris

drew a bases-loaded walk off Clemson closer Paul Harrelson, pushing the lead

to 8-6.

The Tigers tried to rally in the ninth when Kyle Frank led off with a single

and went to second on an error. But Gamecocks' closer Blake Taylor responded

by getting Greene to ground out to third and striking out Jeff Baker. After

Michael Johnson walked, Hourigan - who remained in the game as the designated

hitter after being pulled from the mound - ended it by grounding into a force

out at third.

South Carolina had taken an early 2-0 lead on solo homers by Thomas (No. 4)

and Brian Buscher (No. 9). Johnson answered for Clemson in the bottom of the

second with his 16th homer of the season, a solo shot to right center to make

it 2-1.

Later, Clemson trailed 4-2 until rallying for three runs in the fourth, the

final two coming on RBI singles from Colin Mahoney and David Slevin.

Aaron Rawl (1-1) got the win for USC in relief of starter Gary Bell. Taylor

finished for his ninth save.

Clemson will travel to Durham for a three-game series with Duke starting Friday. First pitch is set for 7:15 PM.

South Carolina 8 (29-8)


Player              AB  R   H   RBI BB  SO  PO  A   LOB


Meyer, Drew ss      6   1   2   1   0   3   1   3   2


Thomas, Steve rf    4   1   2   3   1   1   1   0   0


 Seaton, Tim pr/rf  1   1   0   0   0   1   0   0   0


Peters, Yaron 1b    3   1   1   0   2   0   12  0   1


Dyson, Trey dh      4   0   1   0   1   0   0   0   0


Gonce, Garris lf    4   0   1   0   1   0   1   0   4


Buscher, Brian 3b   4   1   2   2   1   0   3   4   0


Harris, Justin cf   4   0   1   1   1   0   1   0   2


Powell, Landon c    4   2   2   0   1   0   6   0   3


Melillo, Kevin 2b   5   1   1   0   0   0   2   1   0


Bell, Gary p        0   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0


 Rawl, Aaron p      0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0


 Taylor, Blake p    0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0


Totals......        39  8   13  7   8   5   27  9   12


Clemson 6 (31-5)


Player              AB  R   H   RBI BB  SO  PO  A   LOB


Slevin, David 2b    4   0   1   1   0   0   2   6   0


Frank, Kyle rf/cf   5   0   1   1   0   0   1   0   0


Greene, Khalil ss   3   1   1   1   2   0   1   3   0


Baker, Jeff 3b      5   0   0   0   0   2   1   3   5


Johnson, Michael 1b 3   1   1   1   2   1   11  0   0


Hourigan, Jeff p/dh 4   1   1   0   1   0   0   0   2


Valiente, R lf/rf   3   1   1   0   0   1   2   0   0


Coder, Chad cf      2   2   1   0   1   1   3   0   0


 DeMaino, L ph/lf   1   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0


Mahoney, Collin c   3   0   1   1   1   1   6   1   2


 Reba, Steve p      0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0


 Lumsden, Tyler p   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0


 Hahn, Jeff p       0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0


 Harrelson, Paul p  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0


Totals......        33  6   8   5   7   6   27  13  9


Score by Innings                    R  H  E


-------------------------------------------


South Carolina...... 111 130 010 -  8 13  1


Clemson............. 011 301 000 -  6  8  1


-------------------------------------------


E - GONCE(1); REBA(2). DP - S. Carolina 1; Clemson 1. 


LOB - S. Carolina 12; Clemson 9. 2B - THOMAS(17); 


DYSON(7); HARRIS(11); POWELL(10). HR - THOMAS(4); 


BUSCHER(9); GREENE(12); JOHNSON(16). SH - SLEVIN(3); 


VALIENTE(1). SB - MEYER 3(24); POWELL(1). CS - MEYER(6).


South Carolina      IP  H   R   ER  BB  SO  AB  BF  NP


Bell, Gary          3.2 5   5   5   4   1   15  20


Rawl, Aaron         3.1 2   1   1   2   3   11  14


Taylor, Blake       2.0 1   0   0   1   2   7   8


Clemson             IP  H   R   ER  BB  SO  AB  BF  NP


Hourigan, Jeff      3.1 7   4   4   2   2   17  19


Reba, Steve         3.1 4   3   0   3   1   14  17


Lumsden, Tyler      0.1 0   1   1   1   1   1   2


Hahn, Jeff          0.2 1   0   0   1   0   3   4


Harrelson, Paul     1.1 1   0   0   1   1   4   5


Win - RAWL (1-1).  Loss - REBA (8-1).  Save - TAYLOR (9).


WP - BELL(8); HOURIGAN(1). PB - MAHONEY(3).


Umpires - Home:Jack Cox  1st:Eddie Loggins  


3rd:Larry Short


Start: 7:18   Time: 3:19   Attendance: 5273


LUMSDEN faced 1 batter in the 8th.

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