No. 9 Clemson used a three-run home run from Nolan Nawrocki and a solo shot from Alden Mathes to pick up a 8-3 victory over Kansas State in midweek play Wednesday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
The Tigers (10-1 overall) jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.
Nawrocki’s home run, his third of the season, came in the second inning off Kansas State starter Andrew Evans. Nawrocki got a fastball up and out over the plate, which he drove over the fence in left-center for a 3-0 Clemson lead.
An inning later, Mathes launched a home run that sailed well above the wall in right to extend the lead to 5-0. Mathes’ home run came after Will Taylor had tripled and scored on a wild pitch earlier that inning.
Mathes (2-for-3) and Nawrocki (2-for-4) both finished with two hits for the Tigers, who tallied eight hits total in Tuesday’s victory.
Clemson added some insurance runs in the eighth. Jacob Hinderleider drew a bases-loaded walk with one out to make it 6-2. Nawrocki scored on an RBI groundout from Cam Cannarella, and Hinderleider crossed the plate after a wild pitch to extend the lead to 8-2.
“We got some nice, timely hits today,” Tigers coach Erik Bakich said afterwards. “Nawrocki’s three-run homer, Alden Mathes with a big two-out home run, and then having six quality at-bats in the eighth inning to get some momentum, string something together for another 3 spot.”
“It didn’t have quite the heroics or the fireworks, but it was a very solid performance,” Bakich added.
Justin LeGuernic started the ninth inning for Clemson but ran into trouble by allowing a leadoff single and two walks to load the bases with no one out. Rob Hughes followed as the Tigers’ fourth pitcher of the night. He allowed an RBI single to Brady Day before striking out Jayden Lobliner swinging to end the game.
Billy Barlow started and pitched five innings, allowing one run on six hits to earn his second win of the season for Clemson. Barlow (2-1) struck out five and walked two. He worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning without allowing a run to score.
Lucas Mahlstedt pitched three innings in relief for the Tigers, limiting Kansas State to a run one on two hits.
Evans (1-1) suffered the loss for the Wildcats (7-5 overall). He pitched three innings and yielded five runs on four hits.
UP NEXT: Clemson begins a three-game series Friday when UNC Greensboro visits Doug Kingsmore Stadium for the Tigers’ final non-conference weekend set of the season. Friday’s first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX).