Gamecocks’ Rally Cut Short as Clemson Completes Series Sweep
For a brief moment, South Carolina’s offense showed signs of life—but just as quickly, it was gone.
After being held scoreless through seven innings, the Gamecocks finally found a spark when Jase Woita delivered an RBI single with one out. The momentum was building, but on the very next pitch, Nolan Nawrocki hit into what looked like a routine double play. A wild throw from second kept the inning alive, but just as hope reignited, it was snuffed out.
Woita was called for interference on his slide into second, and after a lengthy review, the umpires upheld the call. South Carolina was awarded another run, but the potential comeback was over before it truly began.
In the end, it was another frustrating day at the plate for the Gamecocks (9-3) as they fell 8-2 to No. 13 Clemson at Founders Park on Sunday, suffering a series sweep at the hands of their in-state rival.
Clemson Dominates Rivalry Once Again
With this loss, South Carolina has now dropped five straight to Clemson, with their last victory coming back on March 5, 2023. The Tigers have swept the season series three times in the last four years, adding another painful chapter to the rivalry.
Head coach Paul Mainieri didn’t shy away from the disappointment.
“I know how much it means to South Carolina fans,” Mainieri said. “I feel bad that we didn’t come through for them. But there’s nothing we can do at this point, except for keep improving and working on the things we need to work on.”
In an effort to shake things up, Mainieri rolled out a revamped lineup for Sunday’s finale, inserting four new starters. But no matter the changes, the offensive struggles remained the same.
Slumping Offense Continues to Struggle
South Carolina couldn’t take advantage of a matchup against Clemson left-hander Justin LeGuernic, who came in with an 8.22 ERA. Instead, he stifled the Gamecocks over four innings, allowing just two singles while striking out six.
Across the three-game series, South Carolina’s offense managed only 15 total hits—five per game. Sunday’s outing saw the Gamecocks strike out 15 times while drawing just two walks.
Mainieri acknowledged the struggles at the plate but made it clear that excuses wouldn’t cut it.
“You give some credit to the other team’s pitching, but you can’t give too much credit,” Mainieri said. “I mean, you’re going to face good pitching; you just got to rise up and do it.”
The numbers paint a brutal picture:
- 4-for-33 with runners on base
- 2-for-22 with runners in scoring position
- 4-for-28 with two outs
In 27 innings, the Gamecocks only scored runs in three of them, totaling just six runs across the series.
“We just got to get more out of each guy,” Mainieri emphasized. “We got to get runners on base, we got to get them over, and then we got to figure out a way to get them in too.”
Eskew Delivers, but Bullpen Falters
Despite the offensive woes, Dylan Eskew delivered another strong performance on the mound. In his third start of the season, Eskew pitched six innings of one-run ball, striking out seven while allowing just three hits and four walks.
The only run he surrendered came in the fifth, after a miscue by Nolan Nawrocki, whose diving stop attempt sent the ball ricocheting into the outfield, putting runners on the corners with no outs. Eskew limited the damage, but his dominant outing went to waste.
“It was no problem today,” Eskew said about his back strain from last week. “Just keeping the hot pack on it, massaging it, kept it loose all game.”
However, once Eskew exited, the bullpen couldn’t hold the line. After being a bright spot this season, South Carolina’s relievers collapsed, giving up seven runs over the final three innings, allowing Clemson to blow the game wide open.
What’s Next?
The Gamecocks will look to regroup with two midweek matchups, starting at home against Davidson on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network Plus.
Can South Carolina turn things around? Stay tuned.
