No. 9 Clemson plated five runs in the first inning en route to a 5-1 victory and two-game series sweep over Manhattan at Doug Kingsmore Stadium Wednesday.
The win was the 11th in a row for head coach Erik Bakich’s team.
Cam Cannarella stayed hot when he doubled down the right field line to lead off the first for Clemson, his sixth double of the season. After a wild pitch, Cannarella scored on a base hit up the middle from Blake Wright for a 1-0 lead.
The Tigers (15-1) followed with three straight run-scoring hits and four straight singles.
Tristan Bissetta singled to the opposite field to score Wright and extend the lead to 2-0. It was Bissetta’s sixth hit in his last four games. Nathan Hall followed with another single for a 3-0 lead.
Jarren Purify snuck a two-run single just past the infield to make it 5-0. Jack Crighton reached on an infield single into the hole at short before Ty Marshall, making his first career start behind the plate in place of Jimmy Obertop, grounded into a double play to close the inning.
Wright (2-for-4) and Crighton (2-for-2) had two hits for Clemson. Crighton also drew a pair of walks to reach base all four times he batted. The Tigers out-hit the Jaspers, 9-5.
Billy Barlow (3-1) made his fifth start for Clemson and pitched five shutout innings, limiting Manhattan to two hits while striking out a career-high nine batters to earn the win.
Matthew Marchal gave up a long home run to Drew Wyers to lead off the sixth inning for the Jaspers’ only run of the game. Marchal pitched two inning in relief. Nick Clayton pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and Lucas Mahlstedt retired the side in order in the ninth .
Garret Garbinski (0-2) started and suffered the loss for Manhattan, allowing all five runs (four earned).
UP NEXT: Clemson travels to No. 7 Duke to open conference play Friday. The Blue Devils (14-3) took two of three from then-No. 1 Wake Forest last weekend. Friday’s first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. EDT at Jack Coombs Field. The series will be streamed on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX).