Clemson Topples No. 17 Chanticleers 16-6 In Seven Innings
CLEMSON, S.C. – The Clemson Tigers scored in six of the seven innings and totaled 15 hits in their 16-6 victory over No. 17 Coastal Carolina at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Tuesday night. The game was shortened to seven innings due to the agreed-upon 10-run rule.
Clemson scored its most runs in the series with Coastal Carolina since March 26, 2002, when the Tigers won 19-1 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The 2002 season was the lone year that first-year Head Coach Erik Bakich was the volunteer assistant coach at Clemson.
After the Chanticleers (18-8) scored an unearned run in the top of the first inning, the Tigers (17-13) responded with three runs in the bottom of the first inning on Will Taylor’s two-run triple and Caden Grice’s RBI groundout. Chad Born belted a solo homer in the top of the second inning, then Billy Amick hit the first pitch of the bottom of the second inning over the fence for his second homer of the year. Cooper Ingle added a two-out, run-scoring single later in the frame.
Coastal Carolina scored a run on a double play in the top of the fourth inning, then Grice laced a two-out, run-scoring double in the bottom of the fourth inning to give the Tigers a 6-3 lead. After the Chanticleers scored two runs in the top of the fifth inning, Cam Cannarella lined a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth inning, then Grice lined a two-out, two-run single later in the frame to give Clemson a 10-5 lead.
The Chanticleers plated a run in the top of the sixth inning, then Clemson answered with three runs on only one hit in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Tigers added three runs in the seventh inning on Riley Bertram’s two-run double and Amick’s run-scoring single to end the game.
Bertram and Amick led the Tigers with three hits apiece, while Cannarella, Grice and Benjamin Blackwell added two hits apiece. All 10 Tigers who made a plate appearance scored at least one run.
Tiger reliever Nick Hoffmann (3-1) earned the win in 2.0 innings pitched in relief, while Chanticleer starter Levi Huesman (1-3) suffered the loss.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the season series, as the two teams conclude the series at Coastal Carolina on May 10.
The Tigers travel to Tallahassee to take on Florida State in a three-game series, beginning Thursday at 8 p.m. on ACC Network.
