For the third consecutive day, Clemson’s offense scored early and often to lift the Tigers to an 11-7 victory and three-game season-opening sweep of Xavier at Doug Kingsmore Stadium Sunday.
The Tigers (3-0 overall) had a hit in every inning and out-hit the Musketeers (0-3), 14-8. Three hits from centerfielder Cam Cannarella (3-for-5) and second baseman Blake Wright (3-for-4) at the top of the lineup helped propel Clemson, which tallied three runs in the first, fifth and seven innings.
Also for the third straight day, the Tigers chased Xavier’s starting pitcher from the game before the fifth inning. Nick Boyle lasted just 3 2/3 innings Sunday and allowed four runs on six hits, He walked seven of the 24 batters he faced.
In the first inning, Wright tripled home two runs and Alden Mathes followed with a run-scoring groundout to give Clemson an early 3-1 lead. After Xavier tacked on two runs in both the third and fourth inning to take a 5-3 lead, Wright added an RBI sac fly in the fifth to tie the game for his third RBI of the day.
Clemson took the lead for good after Mathes followed Wright with an RBI single to left-center that made it 6-5. But a throwing error from Aedan Anderson allowed Mathes to take second and Cannarella to score to push the lead to 7-5.
The Tigers used back to back doubles from Jacob Hinderleider and Jack Crighton in the sixth to extend the lead to 8-5 before putting the game out of reach an inning later.
After Jimmy Obertop loaded the bases with a single to shallow center in the seventh, Andrew Ciufo lifted a sac fly to left to score a run and make it 9-5. A throwing error by shortstop Donovan Canterberry allowed two more runs to cross the plate to cap the day’s scoring at 11-7.
Rob Hughes pitched a scoreless eighth inning in relief, and Justin LeGuernic tossed a scoreless ninth to close out the game.
Freshman Aidan Knaak started for Clemson and pitched three innings. He allowed five runs on six hits in his Tigers debut, striking out six and walking three.
Matthew Marchal came on in relief and had tossed three scoreless innings before running into trouble in the seventh inning by walking the first two batters of the inning. Marchal (1-0) earned the win in relief.
Jake Hooker (0-1) was the losing pitcher, allowing three runs in an inning and a third of relief. The Musketeers used four pitchers in Sunday’s game, with Clemson scoring off each one.
The Tigers totaled 38 hits in the series sweep.
Clemson is scheduled to host Presbyterian College in its first mid-week game Tuesday at 4 p.m. EST at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Presbyterian (3-0) swept St. Peter’s over the weekend in both schools’ opening series. Tuesday’s game will be broadcast by ACC Network Extra.