What a day for Clemson baseball! Despite being constantly stifled by Winthrop’s pitching, the Tigers never gave up hope, not even at the bottom of the ninth.
Ranked No. 20, Clemson was losing 3-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth. Clemson hitters had left 14 runners on base in the previous eight innings and could not come up with a clutch hit.
Chase Pinder, the straw that stirs the Tiger drink, started the late inning rally with a single down the left field line. Reed Rohlman struck out swinging, ending his 10-game hit streak. Eli White was then hit by a pitch and forced Pinder into scoring position. Freshman standout Seth Beer doubled to right field, scoring both runners and tying the game. Chris Okey and Weston Wilson were both intentionally walked, and Beer was replaced at third by pinch runner Jordan Greene.
Robert Jolly came in to pinch hit for the struggling third baseman, Adam Renwick. Jolly found his pitch and put it just out of reach of the third baseman to score the winning run.
Other than the ninth inning, the Tigers could not seem to convert any of their seemingly endless scoring chances. K.J. Bryant was caught looking on an inside fastball with runners on second and third in the fourth inning. Beer flied out to deep right with White on second in the third inning. Winthrop always seemed to be able to get out of a jam, evidenced by the nine walks and four hit-by-pitches issued during the game. Beer, once again, led the Tigers in hits, going 2-4 with two runs batted in (RBI).
Lefty freshman Jake Higginbotham started the game for the Tigers. He looked shaky in the first, issuing a couple of walks and a run, but he held together well over the next few innings, retiring 11 straight batters.
In the fifth inning, Higginbotham gave up a couple of hits and had another run charged to him later after Ryley Gilliam let a runner on base score. Coach Monte Lee pulled Gilliam and replaced him with Pat Krall, who finished the inning and put the Eagles in check for the reminder of the game. Alex Bostic finished the game, earning his first career win.
The Clemson Tigers are now ranked No. 20 overall and look to improve that ranking over the weekend against their next opponent, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. It will be the first ACC competition for Clemson.
