The Clemson Tigers (4-1) dropped game one of the weekend series to UCF (4-1) at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Saturday, losing a hard-fought 4-2 game.
In a game that started on Friday, both teams fought through the weather conditions for eight full innings until the game’s finish was postponed until 1 p.m. EST on Saturday.
After having two runners on base when the game was delayed, UCF started the game on Saturday with runners on first and second, tied 2-2.
UCF first baseman Nick Romano singled to left field to break the tie in the ninth, putting the Knights up 3-2. UCF would tack on one more run on a hit-by-pitch, taking a two-run lead into the bottom half of the inning.
The Tigers were unable to respond and lost their first game of the season.
After a scoreless first inning, UCF scored two runs in the second inning. However, it could have been much worse for the Tigers, as the bases were loaded. Clemson starting pitcher Ryan Ammons struck out senior John Rhys Plumlee to end the top half of the second.
The Tigers got on the board when junior infielder Blake Wright gave Clemson its first run of the game, narrowing the deficit to 2-1 at the end of the third inning. The fourth inning was scoreless, and UCF would not score in the fifth inning before the game was delayed for the first time on Friday.
The delay lasted over an hour before the game resumed and that is when the Tigers came out swinging; with junior Caden Grice on third, freshman Cam Cannarella hit a single to send Grice home to tie up the game at 2-2.
For the sixth inning, Clemson changed their pitcher from junior left-handed pitcher Ryan Ammons to freshman right-hander Joe Allen. The change proved worthwhile as Allen struck out all three batters in the top of the sixth, including both of the players who scored for the Knights back in the second inning.
Following a few more scoreless innings and pitching changes from Clemson, the score still remained tied at 2-2 until a second weather delay was called.
The series against UCF is slated to continue on Saturday at 2:20 p.m. with sophomore Austin Gordon out of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, taking the mound for the Tigers in game two. The series will conclude on Sunday at 1 p.m. with sophomore pitcher Jay Dill from Dayton, Tennessee, getting the start.
