PITTSBURGH – Logan Davidson became the first Tiger in history to hit a home run from both sides of the plate and Patrick Cromwell added two home runs in No. 4 Clemson’s 16-6 victory over Pittsburgh at Charles L. Cost Field on Thursday night. The Tigers, who took a 1-0 lead in the series, improved to 41-13 overall and 20-8 in the ACC, while the Panthers fell to 27-23 overall and 11-17 in ACC play.
Pittsburgh grabbed the lead with a run in the first inning, then Clemson erupted for six runs in the third inning. A one-out walk by Jordan Greenefollowed by four singles in a row and Cromwell’s two-run homer highlighted the uprising. Kyle Wilkie, who extended his hitting streak to 20 games, Seth Beer and Chris Williams all had run-scoring singles in the frame. Beer lined a run-scoring double in the fourth inning, then Davidson, who earlier extended his hitting streak to 15 games, blasted a long solo homer as a righthanded batter in the top of the sixth inning.
Pittsburgh answered with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, then Davidson crushed a two-run home run as a lefthanded batter in the seventh inning, his second of the game and 13th of the season. Cromwell added his second homer, a solo shot and his seventh of the year, in the eighth inning. Sam Hall led off the ninth inning with his second homer of the year, then Beer hit a two-run homer, his 17th of the season and Clemson’s season-high sixth of the game, and Cromwell lined a run-scoring double.
In his first career ACC start, freshman righthander Spencer Strider (5-1) earned the win. He allowed only three hits, two runs and two walks with a career-high-tying seven strikeouts in 5.0 innings pitched. Panther starter Matt Pidich (5-2) suffered the loss, as he gave up five hits, five runs and two walks with three strikeouts in 2.1 innings pitched.
The series continues Friday at 3 p.m., on ACC Network Extra.
