COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — DeAngelo Mack lined a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning to rally South Carolina to a 7-6 victory Tuesday over Clemson, giving the Gamecocks six straight wins in the series and nine of the last ten.
The winning rally came off Tigers closer Casey Harmon. Pinch-hitter Adam Matthews singled to left to start off the inning and Casey Rihn walked to put the first two runners on.
Jackie Bradley Jr. advanced the runners to second and third with a perfectly executed bunt before the Tigers intentionally walked Whit Merrifield to load the bases.
Mack then drilled a 1-1 pitch between first and second that allowed Matthews and Rihn to score the winning runs.
"I knew since they walked the bases loaded, I knew he had to give me something to hit," Mack said. "He hung a curveball in the middle of the plate and I was able to stroke it cleanly."
It is the second time this season Mack has delivered the game-winner against the Tigers (20-11). In the Gamecocks' (21-10) 3-1 victory at Clemson on Feb. 28, he hit a solo home run in the top of the ninth to break a 1-1 tie.
Curtis Johnson improved to 2-0 with 2 1/3 innings of one-hit relief. He retired the final seven batters he faced. Harmon picked up the loss, falling to 3-2.
Clemson scored twice in the first after starting pitcher Jay Brown retired the first two batters before issuing a walk to Jeff Schaus and a double by Ben Paulsen. Kyle Parker then singled past the glove of second baseman Scott Wingo for the early 2-0 lead.
South Carolina answered right back with four runs in the bottom half of the first inning.
Bradley Jr. led off with a double and scored on a single by Merrifield. Mack followed with his first home run in 14 games with a 2-run shot into the Gamecocks' bullpen in right field.
Parker Bangs added a solo shot to the Tigers' bullpen in left field to round out the scoring.
The Tigers jumped to a 5-4 advantage with two unearned runs in the third and a run in the fourth.
Freshman Michael Roth relieved Brown with two outs and two runners on in the fourth and after a first-pitch strike, threw eight straight balls to walk in a run. Paulsen added his second RBI when he drew the bases loaded pass.
Wingo tied the score in the bottom half of the sixth with a solo home run to right field that drew both Tanner and Clemson coach Jack Leggette out to argue the call.
Second base umpire AJ Lostaglio originally called the ball in play. After huddling with the umpire crew for nearly three minutes, the call was overturned and ruled a home run. Replays showed the ball glancing off the yellow line that signals a home run.
Leggett argued the overturned call to no avail. This is the second time in a week the Tigers failed to hold a lead in the ninth inning against an SEC foe. Georgia rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth last Wednesday in a 4-2 victory.
"We just haven't had the right combination at the end of the ball game yet," Leggett said.
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