The 15th ranked Clemson Tigers rallied from a four-run deficit to beat the #2 South Carolina Gamecocks 6-5 on Sunday afternoon, before a crowd of 6,039 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium at Clemson, to take one out of three in the series against the two-time defending national champions. The Tigers victory ended the Gamecocks 19 game win streak dating back to last season.
With the game tied 5-all in the bottom of the ninth, Steve Wilkerson singled to score Jon McGibbon with the game winner. It was only the seventh time Clemson had beaten South Carolina in their last 23 head-to-head meetings.
South Carolina starting pitcher Colby Holmes, a junior right-hander out of Conway High, pitched three and two-thirds innings. He allowed seven hits and three runs. Two of them were earned. Holmes left the game with a 4-3 lead but did not figure in the decision.
The Gamecocks stormed out to a 4-0 lead. Freshman catcher Grayson Greiner hit a pair of homers, including a 3-run jack in the second inning. He had four RBI on the day. Another freshman, Tanner English, who attended St. James High in Murrells Inlet, had one hit in five at-bats.
Clemson rallied to pull within 5-3. In the bottom of the eighth, Phil Pohl hit a two-run homer to tie the game. That set the stage for Wilkerson's walk-off single in the ninth. Clemson improved their record to 5-4. The Gamecocks fall to 9-1 on the season.
South Carolina will host UNC-Asheville on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Carolina Stadium. Clemson returns to action Wednesday at 4 p.m. to host Holy Cross at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
