Clemson infielder Andrew Ciufo blasts walk-off home run to lift Tigers to victory over South Carolina
The rivalry between Clemson and South Carolina is without a doubt, one of the more heated in college sports. When these two rivals tangle, it always means a little extra. And that’s why Andrew Ciufo cemented his place in Tiger history on Saturday night.
He blasted a solo shot in the 12th inning vs. the South Carolina Gamecocks, lifting Clemson to a win over their heated rivals.
It was a fierce battle between two Top 15 teams, but Clemson ended up pulling it out 5-4, after Ciufo blasted his walk-off solo shot with two outs in the 12th inning. The Tigers improved to 8-1 on the season, while the Gamecocks dropped to 8-2 overall.
Clemson’s Cam Cannarella extended his hitting streak to 17 games, dating all the way back to 2023. He managed to hit a two-out double in the fourth inning to get the Tigers on the board. The star finished with two RBIs on the evening. Not surprisingly, he currently leads the team in RBIs. In 2023, Cannarella was named first-team All-American by multiple publications, after he led the Tigers to an ACC Tournament Championship.
South Carolina’s Ethan Petry swatted a two-run blast to tie the score at 4-4 in the ninth inning. The Gamecocks then got 12 Clemson batters in a row out. Andrew Ciufo stepped up to deliver the heroics with two outs in the 12th inning, his second deep shot of the year.
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The home run marked the Tigers’ first walkoff home run to defeat South Carolina in series history. It was the 334th all-time meeting between the two rivals. Matthew Marchal (2-0) got the win for Clemson, while Garrett Gainey (0-1) had the loss. Tigers starter Tristan Smith pitched five innings, allowing three hits, one run, one walk, but throwing a career-high nine strikeouts.
Clemson finished with 12 hits and South Carolina finished with 9. Will Tippett also hit a home run for South Carolina.
The series will continue on Sunday as the two teams will face off at 2 p.m. on ACC Network Extra. The game is in Segra Park in Columbia, South Carolina. After their series with South Carolina, Clemson will face off against Kansas State on Wednesday, Mar. 6. Then, they’ll have a three-game home series against the UNC Greensboro Spartans.