The Sarge

BOTTOM 9 - Nine-hole hitter John McGibbon has had a couple of good days now. He singles to start the inning. He's bunted up to second base. With one out, Koumas gives up a line drive single to left center scoring the run without a throw. FINAL: Clemson 6 - Carolina 5. L: Koumas (1-1) HR: Greiner 2 (2). Clemson scored three runs in the final two innings.

TOP 9 - Evan Marzilli reaches on an infield single to start the inning and English comes up in an obvious bunt situation. He pops it up and it's caught. Not very good for the freshman. He's frustrated. Walker up and he hits one off the end of the bat towards second. First baseman tries to come over and field it, for some reason. Can't get there. Second baseman does, but he loses control of the ball as he tries to find the pitcher. Runners on first and second with one out and Dantzler up. He goes down looking and then pinch hitter Kyle Martin bounces back to the mound for the final out of the inning. Score tied headed to the bottom of the ninth.

BOTTOM 8 - Forrest Koumas in to pitch. Richie Shaffer walks to lead off the inning. You can't walk the guy there with a two run lead. That brings the tying run to the plate. If he hits a solo home run, it doesn't matter. Anyway, Pohl does exactly what you can't have done. He launches a home run to left center. That ties the game. After getting Felder to pop out to center, Dantzler boots a grounder and Boulware gets all the way around to second base. Go-ahead run in scoring position. Costigan lines out to right. Koumas Ks Stolz to end the inning. Score tied 5-5

TOP 8 - Matthews hits a one-out single to right and advcances to third on a failed pickoff move. Greiner is walked to put runners at the corners with one down, but the Tigers get out of the inning with any damage after Chase Vergason grounds into a double play. Gamecocks lead 5-3.

BOTTOM 7 - Costigan flies out to center to begin the inning. Stolz singles to deep short. Pankake made a nice diving play and strong throw, but Stolz was just a bit fast. McGibbon grounds to third. Dantzler has to go to first. Two down, runner on second. Top of the order Brittle digs in. He walks. Not a bad walk. Meyers visits to talk to Carter before he faces Wilkerson. Big out to get here with Shaffer on deck. Carter with a big pitch and gets Wilkerson to ground out to Walker to end the inning. Gamecocks lead 5-3

TOP 7 - English bunts to third. Shaffer is playing close and regonizes it quick. Gets in and makes the play easily. Walker hits a liner back at the pitcher, who reacts quickly and catches it. Deantzler walks on four pitches for TJ Costen. He strikes out on three pitches. Gamecocks lead 5-3.

BOTTOM 6 - Tyler Webb still on the mound for the Gamecocks. Ethan Carter warming up though. Shaffer walks. Not a huge surprise. Pohl pops out in foul territory to Walker. Felder lines out to Dantzler at third. RHH Garrett Boulware coming up. Ethan Carter coming in to pitch and he gets Boulware to tap right back to him. Gamecocks lead 5-3.

TOP 6 - Matthews strikes out. One down. Grayson Greiner gets another one up in the air to left field. Good things will happen. Ball just carries and carries and carries. This one was definitely wind-aided. Goes about three rows deep. Vergy grounds out to short. Marzilli Ks for the second straight at-bat. Gamecocks lead 5-3

BOTTOM 5 - Costigan flies out to left. Pankake with another error. Bouncer right to him. Not much of an excuse for that one. No masking that routine boot. McGibbon singles to bring up Brittle, who lines out to second base. Wilkerson grounds back up the middle. Vergason has him shaded that way, fields cleanly, and has to make a strong throw. It's low and Walker makes a very nice pick to end the inning. Gamecocks dodge more trouble and lead 4-3. Scott Firth coming in to pitch for the Tigers.

TOP 5 - After Dantzler grounds out, Costen hits a shot to the gap in left center. He flips off his helmet as he rounds second. I couldn't tell what Holbrook was telling him to do. Costen goes for third and is thrown out pretty easily. Holbrook chats with him before heading to the dugout. Two down. Pankake goes down looking. Gamecocks lead 4-3.

BOTTOM 4 - Matthews tracks down a long fly ball to right. Holmes then walks Shaffer. Not a bad move there. Tyler Webb warming in the bullpen. Pohl grounds to third. Shaffer to second. Two down with Felder up. Webb is called in to pitch and he walks Felder. Stays in to face RHH Garrett Boulware, who flies out to center to end the inning. Gamecocks lead 4-3.

TOP 4 - Greiner with a routine grounder to short. One down. Chase Vergason with two hits on the day. Drops a single to right. Marzilli goes down swinging. English singles to left to put two on. I don't know what the heck Walker just did to strike out, but he struck out. Inside pitch, he started to swing, then started to jump out of the way ... but he ends up swinging. USC still leads 4-3.

BOTTOM 3 - Richie Shaffer, the thorn in the side of the Gamecocks all weekend, launches a home run to left field to lead off the inning. You pitch to him with a three-run lead and no on and out, but I don't think they'll pitch to him much more today ... Pohl drops a single to center. Holmes gets Felder swinging on a breaking ball for the first out of the inning. Boulware up now. He's had a rough day with a big error and a strikeout. He walks on six pitches putting two on with one down. Costigan up. He lines a single to left to score Pohl. With English in left, Boulware has to hold at second. First and second, one down for Stolz, who has been hard on the Gamecocks this weekend. Matthews makes a running catch for out number two. After an infield single to second base, Brittle lined out to short to end the inning. Gamecocks lead 4-3

TOP 3 - Christian Walker grounds out to second for the second time today. Dantzler hits a nubber off the end of the bat to third. There are a lot of things great about LB, but he's not the fleetest of foot. Even on the slow roller, he's thrown out by a few steps. Costen works a full count walk. Make that back-to-back walks with Pankake drawing the next one. Matthews hits a line drive to right that sends Felder spinning as he tracks back, but he recovers in time to make the catch. Gamecocks still lead 4-1.

BOTTOM 2 - Boulware Ks to begin the inning. Costigan draws a one-out walk to give the Tigers a base runner. Stolz lines to left for a single. He's been their best player so far this weekend, in my opinion, aside from Shaffer. McGibbon grounds to first. Walker flips it perfectly to Holmes, who is standing on the bag, but drops it. Bases loaded, one down. Brittle flies to left, which brings home a run. Holmes then gets Wilkerson to fly out to left center. Nice running play by Marzilli. Gamecocks lead 4-1

TOP 2 - LB Dantzler leads off with a lazy fly ball to left field. Wind is blowing hard out that way. Boulware, a catcher by trade, settles under it, but the ball falls out of his glove. Dantzler stands on second. Costen goes ahead in the count 3-0 but Pohle works back with some fastballs over the plate and gets him swinging at what may have been a slider. Hard to tell with all the ish in my way. Pankake hits a sharp grounder to Shaffer at third. He has a great arm, but the throw is wild. Pankake to second, Dantzler standing at third base with Matthews up. He hits a 1-1 looping liner over Shaffer's head an into left field. Runners had to freeze to be sure it cleared Shaffer. Dantzler scores easily, Pankake to third, Matthews on first. Grayson Greiner, dropped down in the batting order, launches the first pitch he sees into the left field stands for his first career home run. All four runs are unearned. Chase Vergason with a solid single to right field. Hit and run -- Marzilli grounds to second. Vergason safe at second, Marzilli out at first. Two outs. English goes down swinging to end the inning. Gamecocks lead 4-0

BOTTOM 1 - Tanner English makes a great play on a catch in foul territory. He folds himself over the fence guarding the bullpen to make the play for the first out of the game. Wilkerson lines a single to left for the first base runner of the game and Shaffer drops a soft single to right to give the Tigers two on with one down and Pohl up. Runners move up on what is ruled a wild pitch from Holmes. I can't see a dang thing from my seat here. I don't know. I'm going to have to figure something else out or yall aren't going to get much from me this game aside from what you could easily see in the box score. This is ridiculous. Anyway, as I rant, Pohl strikes out and Holmes goes ahead 1-2 in the count on a nice changeup to Felder. Holmes then gets out of the inning by K'ing him on the next pitch. No score.

TOP 1 - Gamecocks go three up, three down. Marzilli and Walker ground to second base. Tanner English hits a line drive, but it's right to Stolz at short. No score.

I don't know if the staff planned to start TJ Costen at DH today but I can tell you that he looked absolutely incredible in batting practice today. The wind is blowing hard out to left field today, which plays into the decision, I'm sure, but he was launching the ball out of the yard. He hit a couple out of the stadium. I was talking with one of my scout buds and he told me it was a Kyle Parker-like shot. Very impressive stuff out there from him today.

For the folks who are into fashion, the Gamecocks are wearing the garnet jerseys with script Carolina and garnet hats.

South Carolina

CF - Evan Marzilli
LF - Tanner English
1B - Christian Walker
3B - LB Dantzler
DH - TJ Costen
SS - Joey Pankake
RF - Adam Matthews
C - Grayson Greiner
2B - Chase Vergason

RHP Colby Holmes

Clemson

CF - Thomas Brittle
2B - Steve Wilkerson
3B - Richie Shaffer
C - Phil Pohl
RF - Brad Felder
LF - Garrett Boulware
DH - Joe Costigan
SS - Jason Stolz
1B - John McGibbon

RHP Kevin Pohle

Good afternoon, folks. I'm here at Doug Kingsmore and we've got a beautiful day for baseball. It's a little nippy outside, but I'm in the confines of the enclosed press box. I'm up on the third row, so I don't have the best view of things. South Carolina is taking batting practice right now. I see a couple of scout buddies. I'm gonna head down there and see if I can get a little scoopage for yall. Be back soon!