On Sunday, the Tigers wrapped up the Clemson Baseball Invitational with their second game against North Carolina A&T, defeating the Aggies 4-2.
Prior to Sunday’s game, Clemson defeated the Aggies 12-7 and tallied two more wins against VCU, giving the Tigers a perfect 4-0 record over the weekend.
“It wasn’t pretty all the time, but good teams find a way to come up on top,” head coach Erik Bakich said in the postgame press conference.
With one out in the bottom of the second, sophomore Collin Priest recorded the second hit of the game for the Tigers on a single to left center field. The following two Tiger batters reached base on a walk and an HBP, leaving the bases loaded for sophomore Jarren Purify. Purify came up just short of a grand slam and instead settled for a sacrifice fly, making the score 1-0.
An inning later, sophomore Tryston McCladdie launched his first career home run to deep center field to deepen the Tigers’ lead to 2-0.
With one out, Priest doubled in an attempt to expand Clemson’s lead. Luke Gaffney and Tristan Bissetta then walked, leaving the bases loaded for Purify. Priest scored on a shallow sacrifice fly to center field by the infielder, expanding Clemson’s lead to 4-2 before the Bulldogs recorded the final out of the inning.
After reliever Hudson Lee recorded the first two outs, Aggie Andrew Tinsley reached on Jay Dillard’s second throwing error of the game. Lee hit the next batter, causing Clemson to bring in sophomore Chance Fitzgerald to attempt to secure the final out of the inning for the Tigers. However, Enrique Wood doubled, tying the game and scoring two unearned runs for the Bulldogs.
Lee walked the next batter, prompting the Tigers to bring in their third pitcher of the inning, Joe Allen. Allen quickly ended the inning, striking out the next batter on just three pitches.
After a flyout to start the bottom of the seventh inning, Josh Paino reached base on an HBP. Dominic Listi then broke the Tigers’ 12 batters-long hitless streak on an RBI double down the left field line, giving the Tigers a 3-2 lead.
For over two and a half innings in the contest, not a single Tiger or Aggie reached base except for Tinsley, due to a throwing error by Tiger third baseman Dillard.
Starting pitcher Justin LeGuernic pitched six innings in the win, striking out six and only allowing one hit. The sophomore didn’t allow a single run in the game.
The Tigers will play Winthrop at home on Tuesday to gear up for a three-game weekend series against rival South Carolina.
