FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
OMAHA – South Carolina starter Michael Roth delivered a career-best performance, tossing a complete-game three-hitter en route to the Gamecocks’ 5-1 win over Clemson on Friday night in the College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium. The two teams will square off again on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT in the Bracket Two finale, with the winner advancing to the championship finals beginning Monday.
South Carolina remains undefeated against Clemson in the College World Series, having defeated the Tigers twice in 2002 in addition to Friday’s victory.
Roth (2-1) dominated the Tiger bats to pick up his second win of the season. He held the Tigers hitless through two innings and then silenced Clemson until the eighth, when the Tigers mustered one hit in each of the final two innings.
South Carolina quickly jumped out to the lead and never looked back, scoring a run in each of the first four innings. The tandem of leftfielder Evan Marzilli and centerfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. produced runs in the first and third. Marzilli opened the game with a double then scored on Bradley’s grounder to short, and in the third, Marzilli walked and stole second before Bradley drove him in with a double off the base of the wall in left-center. Third baseman Adrian Morales accounted for the second-inning run with an RBI-single that scored designated hitter Brady Thomas, who doubled to lead off the inning. Catcher Kyle Enders bashed his third home run of the season in the fourth, a solo shot to left field.
The Tigers turned the tables on the Gamecocks with a leadoff double of their own in the third thanks to first baseman Richie Shaffer. Shaffer advanced to third on a groundout then charged home on a passed ball for Clemson’s lone run.
Enders added an insurance run for the Gamecocks in the sixth, extending South Carolina’s lead to four runs. Thomas reached on a fielder’s choice and later scored when Enders ripped a single past the third baseman’s outstretched glove to make it 5-1. It marked the third straight run the Gamecocks scored with two outs.
Clemson starter Dominic Leone (3-2) lasted just 2.2 innings before being lifted in favor of righthander David Haselden. Leone gave up three earned runs on four hits in the loss, while Haselden allowed two earned runs on four hits through 3.1 innings. Righty Tomas Cruz relieved Haselden heading into the seventh and promptly struck out the side, marking the first and only strikeouts of the evening for the Clemson pitching staff.
