Clemson’s offense set the tone. The bullpen took care of the rest.
And the Tigers added another mid-week victory to the win column.
Behind the bats of Max Wagner and Tyler Corbitt, Clemson (28-14, 6-11 ACC) pounded out 16 hits, as the Tigers cruised to a 17-4 win over No. 25 Wofford on Wednesday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
Clemson got five shutout innings out of the bullpen before Nick Hoffman gave up a run in the top of the eighth. After Wednesday’s starter Nick Clayton lasted just two innings, Jay Dill combined with relievers Ty Olenchuck, Austin Gordon, Nick Hoffman and Jackson Lindley to allow just one run on four hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
Clemson got the scoring starting in the home half of the first. With two outs, Corbitt belted a two-run triple into the left-center field gap. Clemson’s third triple of the season allowed the Tigers to take a quick 2-0 lead.
That lead wouldn’t even last a half-inning, though. Wofford quickly rallied back with three runs on three hits to take a 3-2 advantage in the top of the second inning.
Corbitt (3-for-3) would later add his eighth home run of the season to extend Clemson’s lead to 10-3. A double shy of hitting for the cycle, Corbitt was replaced in left field after homering in the bottom of the fourth.
Getting another crack at a mid-week start, Clayton worked around trouble in the first inning, but the sophomore right-hander played with fire when he took the bump an inning later and got burned.
Clayton was pulled after two innings of work, in which he allowed three runs on four hits with one walk and zero strikeouts.
Following Wednesday’s outing, Clayton’s season ERA is now up to 6.16. He was relieved by Dill, who pitched two scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Dill’s clean outing allowed Clemson to take back control of Wednesday afternoon’s game.
Clemson was able to steal a run on a Benjamin Blackwell (2-for-4) infield single in the bottom of the second inning. Wofford’s catcher Cameron Gill made a tough throw that was dropped by the first baseman John Dempsey. Then, Dylan Brewer raced home from third base and scored as Dempsey’s throw home sailed a bit high, allowing the Tigers to knot the game at 3 apiece.
Cooper Ingle (2-for-3) hit one to dead center to give Clemson a 5-3 lead. Ingle’s sixth home run of the season went 104 MPH off the bat and traveled 399 feet, giving Clemson its second lead Wednesday. A lead which they’d never surrender.
Bryar Hawkins (1-for-5) tacked onto Clemson’s lead with a two-out RBI double in the home half of the third. The Tigers continued to tack on runs an inning later, as Wagner, who is in the midst of an “unreal” tear, added two more RBIs.
Blake Wright (2-for-6) would later single home two runs with the bases loaded, which was followed up by a three-run blast off the bat of Wagner. The sophomore infielder out of Green Bay (Wisc.) added a solo shot in the home half of the seventh inning.
Freshman infielder David Lewis later added the second home run of his collegiate career
Wagner, who is perhaps one of the nation’s hottest hitters at the moment, now has nine home runs in his last eight games. He finished Wednesday’s contest 3-for-5 with two home runs and six RBIs.
He’ll look to continue that hot streak as Clemson, which has now won nine of its last 11 games, will travel to Louisville this weekend for a three-game set with the Cardinals.
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