CLEMSON — Jarren Purify homered late, and Lucas Mahlstedt came in and shut the door as No. 13 Clemson beat South Carolina 5-3 to take game one of the annual rivalry series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium Friday night. The Tigers have won three straight in the series dating back to last season.
Mahlstedt pitched the final three innings, holding the Gamecocks (9-1) hitless, in notching his third save of the season. He struck out four and did not walk a hitter.
Collin Priest, Cam Cannarella and Luke Gaffney each had two hits on the night for Clemson (8-1), with Priest driving in two runs.
“Great team win, great way to set the tone for the series,” head coach Erik Bakich said. “Unbelievable crowd. Elecrtric crowd.”
Aidan Knaak once again struggled with his command, walking four hitters and hitting another across 4.2 innings of work. He finished the night with a strike rate of just 55% and allowed three runs on four hits. He did strike out nine hitters, upping his season total to 24.
Jacob McGovern relieved Knaak with two outs in the fifth, allowing just one hit and no runs over the next 1.1 innings in picking up his first win (1-0) of the season.
South Carolina starter Matthew Becker didn’t fare any better than Knaak, lasting just 3.1 innings and allowing four runs on five hits in taking his first loss (2-1) of the season. Becker did strike out five, but he also walked five, his first five walks of the season.
“We had pitching, we had defense, we had timely hitting,” Bakich added. “We scored three runs with two outs.”
“Lucas getting nine outs, that is tough to do,” Bakich said. “The way he did it. He has done that before. Just super-valuable to have a guy like Lucas.”
The Tigers got it going early, plating three runs in the bottom of the first. With two outs, Cannarella laid a perfectly placed bunt down the third base line. Josh Paino then worked a walk, putting runners at first and second for Priest, who then drove both runners in with a two-strike double down the right-field line.
Clemson added to that lead in the bottom of the second. Gaffney started things off by doubling down the third-base line. After a Purify sacrifice bunt and a walk to Andrew Ciufo, Dominic Listi singled through the right side, driving in a run and giving the Tigers a 3-0 lead.
Becker then struck out Tryston McCladdie before walking Cannarella to load the bases with two outs. Becker then walked Josh Paino, which plated another run, putting Clemson up 4-0. Priest would then ground out to end the inning, leaving the bases loaded.
South Carolina got on the board in the top of the third after Knaak issued back-to-back one-out walks to load the bases. Former Tiger Nolan Nawrocki plated one run on a sacrifice fly and Talmadge LeCroy followed that up with a two-run double into the left-field corner, cutting Clemson’s lead to 4-3.
The score remained that way until the bottom of the seventh when Purify jacked a 384-foot solo shot out to left to extend the Clemson lead to 5-3. It was Purify’s first home run of the season and gave the Tigers all the insurance they would need.
“The exclamation mark, what really felt like that final nail was when (Purify) hit the bomb,” Bakich said.
Up Next
The rivalry series moves to Fluor Field in Greenville for game two on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and the game will be streamed on SECN+.