By Hale McGranahan.

GREENVILLE, S.C. – South Carolina beat Clemson 4-1 at Fluor Field before a capacity crowd on a frigid Saturday afternoon.

The Tigers (6-3) had several opportunities to clinch the series, but stranded nine runners on base, most of which were in the sixth and seventh innings.

After Tyler Krieger’s first-inning RBI double, South Carolina (7-2) starter Jack Wynkoop sat down 15-straight hitters. Clemson snapped the dry spell in the sixth and loaded the bases with one out before Wynkoop struck out out Chris Okey and retired Weston Wilson on ground ball to third.

Clemson loaded the bases again an inning later after Clarke Schmidt relieved Wynkoop (2-1) while Eli White was at the plate with a 2-2 count. White would go on to single before Tyler Slaton struck out swinging and Reed Rohlman bounced into a 4-6-3 double-play

“Wynkoop really did a nice job today,” Jack Leggett said. “He started pitching backwards after the third-inning, working with his change-up, breaking ball. He threw it out of the strike zone, threw it for strikes. He just changed his pattern totally after the third-inning.”

For Clemson, Zack Erwin (1-1) gave up seven hits, four runs and recorded five strikeouts over 6-1/3 innings of work. Most of the damage was done in the second when South Carolina posted three runs on five hits.

“That was frustrating, to start off that inning with the worst three pitches I threw all night, the double, the double and the hit right after that,” Erwin said. “After that, they kind of looped some seeing-eye singles and got some runs…they did a good job.”

The lead was pushed to 4-1 in the fourth. Kyle Martin, who led off the inning with a single and eventually came around the score, was the last Gamecock to reach base with a hit.

“I kind of switched up my approach and I threw more off-speed,” Erwin said. “They were really on the fastball, so I switched up and started getting ahead in the count with off-speed and could do whatever I wanted from there.”

The two teams play again Sunday in Columbia with first-pitch scheduled for 12 o’clock on the SEC Network.

“We want to win every single game and we’ll be ready to play tomorrow,” Leggett said. “My biggest concern right now — we’re playing well. I feel good about our team. I feel good about where we are mentally, where we are physically, where our pitching is, where our swings are and our approach. That’s the most important thing right now.”

Brody Koerner (1-1, 2.25) will start for Clemson and Josh Reagan (0-0, 4.66) is likely to start for South Carolina.

“We want to win this series,” Krieger said. “We know how important it is for both sides. Both teams are very competitive and it’s a fun atmosphere to play in.

“I can’t wait to get there tomorrow and I expect us to play well, because I feel like we have the players to get this thing done.”