Clemson baseball posts second consecutive victory against in-state rival South Carolina

CLEMSON — Another game, different day, same result.

Clemson hit three home runs Sunday to power past South Carolina 5-4 and claim a second consecutive victory by a 5-4 margin against the Gamecocks.

Clemson also won the first game 5-4 on Saturday after Friday’s opening game of the annual three-game series was postponed by rain. No makeup date for that game has been set.

The Tigers (9-1), ranked No. 10 nationally, got home runs from Will Taylor, Nolan Nawrocki and Blake Wright on Sunday, but had to rally from an early deficit.

The Gamecocks (8-3), ranked No. 12, got a two-out, two-run home run from Cole Messina in the top of the first, scoring Dylan Brewer, who had drawn a one-out walk.

Clemson responded with a solo home run by Taylor – his fourth of the season – in the bottom of the first, but the Gamecocks extended their advantage to 3-1 on Dylan Brewer’s RBI single in the top of the third.

The Tigers tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the fourth on Jimmy Overtop’s RBI groundout and an RBI single by Andrew Ciufo.

Clemson took its first lead of the day, 4-3, in the bottom of the sixth when Nolan Nawrocki launched his second home run of the season to left field, then extended the lead to 5-3 on a blast by Wright in the bottom of the eight.

South Carolina’s Ethan Petry pulled the Gamecocks within a run with a solo homer in the top of the ninth.

Clemson’s Will Taylor heating up

Will Taylor has awakened in a big way for the Tigers.

The junior outfielder had just one hit in his first 23 at-bats this season and was batting .043 through seven games, but in the Tigers’ last three games has five hits in nine at-bats. He has scored six runs, hit four home runs and walked four times during that span.

His latest home run came in the bottom of the first inning in the Tigers’ 5-4 win against South Carolina on Sunday.

Solid pitching helps Tigers notch ninth win

Clemson got strong pitching against South Carolina on Sunday. Starter Aidan Knaak, a freshman righthander, scattered four hits and three runs over five innings.

Relievers Drew Titsworth (1-0), who got the victory, combined with Nick Clayton, Matthew Marchal and Austin Gordon to allow only one hit and one run over the final four innings. No South Carolina player had more than one hit and Clemson pitchers struck out nine batters.

Scott Keepfer covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at skeepfer@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ScottKeepfer