Tag: Jarren Purify

For the third straight day, Clemson fell behind early. But much as they’ve done all season to this point, the Tigers’ bats bailed them out.

Freshman Jarren Purify had two hits and drove in four runs, and the ninth-ranked Tigers (13-1) rallied for a 6-3 victory to complete a three-game series sweep of UNC Greensboro Sunday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

After falling behind 2-0 and being held scoreless through five innings, the Tigers’ offense finally awoke in the sixth after leaving the bases loaded an inning earlier.

Jimmy Obertop walked to lead off the inning and force Spartans starter Rob Ready from the game. Andrew Ciufo then dropped a soft single into shallow right off reliever Luke Thomas. A passed ball advanced the runners to second and third.

After Tristan Bissetta was walked intentionally to load the bases, Purify made one of the best plays of the young season.

Purify, the 2023 Detroit Prep Player of the Year, laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to score Overtop from third. Ciufo, who never stopped running from second, also raced home, and the game was tied at 2-2.

When Cam Cannarella followed with an RBI double down the line that just missed the glove of G.C. Jarman in left field, Clemson had its first lead of the day at 3-2.

The Spartans wasted no time striking back in the seventh when Mitchell Smith launched a game-tying home run off reliever Matthew Marchal.

Clemson went right back to work later that inning, though. Overtop and Ciufo singled to put two men on with no one out. After Jacob Hinderleider just missed a home run to deep right-center, Bissetta drew a walk on four pitches to load the bases.

Purify came through again when he lined a two-run single to center. His second hit of the day gave Clemson a 5-3 lead the Tigers wouldn’t relinquish.

Will Taylor sent his fifth home run of the season out to deep left-center in the eighth to give Clemson an insurance run and cap the scoring at 6-3.

Cannarella (2-for-5), Ciufo (2-for-4), and Purify (2-for-3) all had multi-hit games for the Tigers, who outhit UNC Greensboro, 10-7.

Lucas Mahlstedt worked a perfect 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his first save. Mahlstedt threw two scoreless innings in his fifth relief appearance of the season.

The Tigers got six innings from starter Aidan Knaak, who limited the Spartans to two runs (one earned) on four hits and four walks. Knaak struck out six and finished at 101 pitches, his deepest start of the season.

Marchal got the win in relief to go to 3-0 on the season. Thomas (1-1) suffered the loss for UNC Greensboro (8-7) after starter Rob Ready had thrown five shutout innings to start Sunday’s game. Ready began the sixth inning but was removed after the leadoff walk to Obertop.

With Sunday’s win, Clemson finished 10-1 in non-conference weekend action. The Tigers have now won nine games in a row.

Clemson will host Manhattan College (N.Y.) Tuesday and Wednesday in midweek action before opening ACC play next Friday with a three-game weekend series at Duke.

Clemson found itself in a bit of unfamiliar territory in Friday’s series opener against UNC Greensboro at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

Starter Austin Gordon yielded four runs in the second inning as the Tigers found themselves in a rare 4-0 deficit.

Good thing the team’s bats have been red hot.

Jarren Purify and Cam Cannarella hit back-to-back home runs as part of an eight-run response in the bottom of the second en route to a 12-5 Clemson victory over UNC Greensboro.

The Tigers, ranked ninth in the country in the latest USA TODAY Sports’ coaches poll, improved to 11-1 with Friday’s victory — one week before conference play begins next Friday at Duke.

Purify homered to deep left off Spartans starter Noah Chapman, a three-run blast that put the Tigers back in the game. It was the freshman’s second home run in his first 13 at-bats in purple and orange.

Cannarella followed Purify with a solo shot to right-center to tie the game at 4-4. Andrew Ciufo and Jacob Hinderleider added run-scoring hits before the inning was over to stake Clemson to an 8-4 lead. By the end of the frame, the Tigers had batted 13 times.

Clemson tacked on two runs in the fourth and single runs in the fifth and seventh innings to win going away. Ciufo, Hinderleider, Alden Mathes, and Jimmy Obertop all finished with two hits in Friday’s victory. Combined, the Tigers outhit the Spartans, 13-7.

After a shaky start from Gordon, Clemson pitching held the Spartans’ bats in check for the rest of the afternoon. UNC Greensboro had six hits as part of its four-run second inning but were held to just one hit the rest of the day.

Rocco Reid earned the win in his third relief appearance this season. Reid (1-0) threw 2 1/3 innings of scoreless ball and didn’t allow a hit. Joe Allen closed things out with two shutout innings. Allen needed just 15 pitches to sit down all six batters he faced. He recorded two strikeouts.

Gordon received a no-decision after being pulled with two out in the fifth. In his 4 2/3 innings of work, the right-hander allowed five runs and seven hits to go with five strikeouts and three walks.

Chapman (1-1) suffered the loss for the Spartans. He was charged with seven runs on four hits and four walks in just an inning and a third.

Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. EST. Left-hander Tristan Smith Smith (0-0, 2.63 ERA) will start for Clemson against UNC Greensboro’s Jay Miller (0-0, 3.86).