#11 Tigers Trounce Bulldogs 14-6 Wednesday

April 7, 2010

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Clemson, SC –

Mike Freeman went 3-for-5 with a double and six RBIs against his former team to lead #11 Clemson to a 14-6 win over Georgia in front of 6,346 fans at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Wednesday night. The Tigers, who won the home-and-home midweek series 2-0, improved to 22-8, while the Bulldogs fell to 10-19.

Freeman, who transferred to Clemson after playing one season (2007) at Georgia, led Clemson’s 13-hit attack. After trailing 4-0, Clemson scored three runs in the third, four runs in the fourth, five runs in the fifth, and two runs in the sixth to break the game open. The game marked the 15th time that Clemson scored double-digit runs in 2010. The Tigers scored double-digit runs 14 times in 2009.

Jonathan Meyer (2-1), the second of five Tiger hurlers, earned the win. In 3.0 innings pitched, he gave up three hits, two runs, and no walks with four strikeouts.

Chase Hawkins (0-2), the first of seven Bulldog pitchers, suffered the loss, as he yielded three hits, five runs, and three walks with two strikeouts in 3.1 innings pitched.

The Bulldogs took an early lead in the first inning without the benefit of a hit. Peter Verdin and Levi Hyams led off with walks and Verdin went to third on Zach Cone’s flyout to right. Robert Shipman’s groundout to first then plated Verdin.

In the top of the third inning, Hyams led off with a single up the middle and Cone walked. Robert Shipman then blasted a long three-run homer to right field, his fourth home run of the season, to give Georgia a 4-0 lead.

Clemson got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third inning. Brad Miller led off with a walk. After Miller was erased on Will Lamb singled through the left side and Chris Epps walked to load the bases. Pohl scored on a balk and Freeman followed with a single to left-center to score Lamb and Epps.

The Tigers took their first lead of the game in the fourth inning. John Hinson reached on an infield single with one out to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. After Miller walked, the two runners moved up a base on a double steal. Two batters later, Lamb laced a two-out triple to right-center to plate Hinson and Miller. After Epps walked and stole second, Freeman singled up the middle to bring home Lamb and Epps, giving Clemson a 7-4 lead.

Clemson added to its lead in the fifth inning with five runs. Jeff Schaus led off with a single up the middle, then Kyle Parker and Wilson Boyd both walked to load the bases with no outs. Hinson drove home Schaus with a single to left-center. Two batters later, Pohl was hit-by-pitch to score Parker and Lamb followed with a sacrifice fly to left to plate Boyd.

The Bulldogs came right back and scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning. Kyle Farmer led off with an infield single and scored on Zach Taylor’s triple down the right-field line. Taylor also scored on the play on a throwing error to cut Clemson’s lead to 12-6.

Clemson answered with two runs of its own in the bottom of the sixth inning. Parker hit a one-out single to center and scored two batters later on Hinson’s two-out, two-run homer to right field, his fourth long ball of the season.

Along with Freeman’s six-RBI performance, Lamb and Hinson both had three hits apiece. Lamb went 3-for-3 with a triple, three RBIs, and two runs. Hinson went 3-for-5 with a homer, three RBIs, three runs, and a steal. In the two-game, midweek series against the Bulldogs, Hinson was 5-for-8 (.625) with two homers, eight RBIs, five runs, one walk, and two steals.

Shipman hit a home run and drove in four runs to lead the Bulldogs, who had nine hits in the game. Farmer, Taylor, and Christian Glisson added two hits apiece as well.

Clemson will hit the road to take on Duke in a three-game series at Durham Bulls Athletic Park starting Friday at 6:00 PM.