COLUMBIA -- Nick Hoffmann pitched 5.0 strong innings and Clemson scored four runs in the fourth inning to take the lead for good in its 10-2 victory over South Carolina at Segra Park on Saturday evening.
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The Tigers, who took a 2-0 lead in the series, improved to 10-0, while the Gamecocks dropped to 7-3.
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The Gamecocks took advantage of two errors in the first inning to score a run, Clemson’s first unearned run allowed in 2022.
In the fourth inning, Cooper Ingle slapped a one-out single to extend his hitting streak to 10 games, then he scored on a wild pitch. Three batters later, Chad Fairey ripped a two-run single to give Clemson the lead. Benjamin Blackwell later added a run-scoring single with two outs.
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Clemson extended its lead to 5-1 in the fifth inning on an error, then South Carolina responded with a run on Kevin Madden’s run-scoring single in the top of the sixth inning. Max Wagner led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a double and scored on a wild pitch, then Clemson added three insurance runs in the seventh inning on two bases-loaded walks and Dylan Brewer’s sacrifice fly. Wagner brought home Clemson’s 10th run on a run-scoring single in the eighth inning.
Bryar Hawkins, Wagner and Ingle each had two hits apiece for the Tigers.
Hoffmann (2-0) earned the win in a starting role. He gave up five hits, one unearned run and no walks with one strikeout in 5.0 innings pitched.
The Tigers used three pitchers beyond Hoffmann, as Ty Olenchuk, Jay Dill and Rocco Reid combined for just two hits and one earned run in four innings of work.
Gamecock starter Noah Hall (0-1) suffered the loss, as he yielded three hits, three runs and two walks with three strikeouts in 3.1 innings pitched.
The series concludes Sunday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium at 3 p.m. on the ACC Network.
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