[lawrence-newsletter]CLEMSON — Tenth-ranked Clemson defeated USC Upstate 12-6 Tuesday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson. Outfielder Will Taylor hit solo home runs in his first three at-bats to lead the Tigers at the plate.

In the first inning, Alden Mathes got on base after being hit by a pitch and later stole second. With one out, Blake Wright hit a two-run home run to left field giving the Tigers an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. 

USC Upstate answered the early runs from Clemson and scored one run in the second before the Tigers (7-1) added to the lead in the bottom of the second with a solo home run from Taylor, his first home run of the season. 

The Spartans plated two runs in the top of the fourth with a single to get a runner on, the next batter hit a two-run blast.

Taylor followed with his second home run of the game leading off the fourth inning. With Taylor’s homer, Clemson tied the game at 4.  

Upstate took a 6-4 lead in the top of the fifth inning with a home run. Nick Clayton came in to pitch, but hit back-to-back batters, which allowed the Spartans to score their sixth run of the night.

The Tigers tied it 6-6 when they plated two run when Wright reached base with a fielder’s choice and Jimmy Obertop came up with a two-run shot.

After a scoreless inning from the Spartans, Taylor hit his third home run of the night to give Clemson a 7-6 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. 

The Tigers scored four more in the bottom of the seventh. Andrew Ciufo had an RBI double and Jacob Hinderleider hit a two-run triple for an 11-6 lead.  Clemson added an insurance run in the eighth with a single from Nawrocki.

Austin Gordon went three innings giving up five hits with five strikeouts and allowed two runs to score. Ethan Darden later came on for the Tigers by going three innings, struck out four and only gave up one hit and no runs.  

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Clemson will travel to Columbia to play No. 19 South Carolina on Friday at 7 p.m., in Game 1 of a three-game series.