GREENVILLE – Clemson’s baseball team repeated its midweek result Tuesday, giving the Tigers another chance to try to build some much-needed momentum.
Clemson put up a crooked number early to propel itself to an 11-2 win over USC Upstate at Fluor Field. The win was the Tigers’ first since notching a victory over a top-25 Georgia team exactly one week earlier, but that didn’t carry over to the weekend as Clemson got swept at Notre Dame by a combined score of 21-5.
After scoring their most runs since plating 14 against North Carolina State on April 1, the Tigers (20-12 overall) desperately need to keep the good vibes going when they travel to Wake Forest on Friday if they realistically hope to make a run at a postseason berth. Clemson, which has yet to win an ACC series, is approaching the midway point of the conference slate with the worst league record (2-9).
For one night at least, Upstate (18-15) provided a remedy for Clemson’s ailments.
The Tigers used a five-run second inning to put them on their way to a season sweep of the Trojans, who’ve lost six straight. Ben Blackwell, Cooper Ingle and Tyler Corbitt each drove in runs in the frame while Max Wagner provided the highlight of the inning with an RBI triple to the 420-foot notch in center.
Clemson finished with 14 hits against seven Upstate pitchers. Blackwell went 3-for-3 and scored four runs from the leadoff spot while Wagner finished a homer shy of the cycle as part of a four-hit, two-RBI night. The top four in the Tigers’ lineup combined to go 11-for-19 and drove in all but three of Clemson’s runs.
It was more than enough support for freshman right-hander Billy Barlow, who worked around some trouble in the third inning. Upstate cut into Clemson’s 6-0 lead in the third by plating a pair of two-out runs using the help of a double, a hit batter and an infield single, but catcher Cooper Ingle picked off Jace Rinehart at first to limit the Trojans’ damage in the frame.
It was the final inning for Barlow, who allowed one earned run on four hits while striking out four. But the work for the Tigers’ young arms was just getting started.
Three more freshmen – Casey Tallent, Austin Gordon and lefty Rocco Reid – threw innings in relief. Talent (1-0) faced just one over the minimum in two innings with three punchouts to earn his first win of the season. Gordon and Reid followed with an inning of relief apiece, combining to yield just one hit before Clemson coach Monte Lee made an interesting call to the bullpen.
Right-hander Nick Hoffman, who’s been in the weekend rotation all season, came on to work the eighth on just two days’ rest. Hoffman plunked the first batter he faced before retiring the next three, throwing 18 pitches in his only inning of work. Caden Grice then closed it out with just his fifth appearance of the season and induced a double play to help himself face the minimum in the ninth.
Upstate starter Nate Payne (0-1) was pegged with the loss after allowing one run on three hits in just one inning.
This story will be updated.
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