Clemson baseball’s unbeaten start came to an abrupt stop Friday night.
Behind a career outing from right-hander Josh Gunther, South Carolina rolled to a 7-0 win at Founders Park, snapping the Tigers’ eight-game winning streak to open the season and ending a five-game slide in the rivalry series.
Making his first career start after transferring from Wake Forest, Gunther was in complete control from the first inning on. He allowed just three hits over seven shutout innings and struck out 10. Clemson never found an answer, and by the end of the night, Gamecock pitchers had racked up 15 total strikeouts.
It was a frustrating and sloppy performance for Clemson (8-1).The Tigers were charged with two errors, two passed balls and two wild pitches. They issued five walks and hit a batter. South Carolina (7-3) made the most of it, scoring seven runs on just four hits.
Clemson had chances early but failed to cash in. A baserunning mistake in the second inning erased a potential scoring opportunity, and in the fifth the Tigers put runners on second and third with one out. Gunther responded by striking out Bryce Clavon and Jarren Purify on six combined pitches to end the threat.
South Carolina broke the game open in the third. After loading the bases, a wild pitch brought in the first run. Ethan Lizama followed with an RBI single, and a throwing error helped extend the inning. KJ Scobey added another run-scoring hit as the Gamecocks built a 4-0 lead.
Aidan Knaak (0-1) took the loss, allowing four runs on three hits over five innings. He struck out eight but also walked three and hit a batter. Justin LeGuernic gave up three runs, only one earned, in 1.2 innings, though control issues continued as he walked two and uncorked a wild pitch.
Another throwing error in the seventh allowed the Gamecocks to push the margin to 7-0.
For two weeks, Clemson’s pitching staff had been praised for its fast start, entering the night with one of the lowest ERAs in the country. Friday was a different story. Command problems and defensive lapses loomed large, especially in big moments.
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Offensively, Clemson never got going. The Tigers finished 1-for-12 with runners on base and 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Jarren Purify and Nate Savoie both went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, while Ty Dalley struck out three times. Jacob Jarrell endured a tough night at the plate and behind it, going hitless with two strikeouts while being charged with a throwing error and multiple passed balls that contributed to runs.
It marked Clemson’s first shutout loss since April 13, 2024.
The series now shifts to Segra Park for Game 2, with first pitch set for 3 p.m. on ACCNX. Clemson will look for a steadier effort as it tries to even the weekend series.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson baseball shut out by South Carolina to open rivalry series
