#13 Tigers Capture Myrtle Beach Regional Title With 15-3 Win Over #10 Coastal Carolina Monday

June 4, 2007

Myrtle Beach, SC –

Behind 20 hits, #13 Clemson defeated #10 Coastal Carolina 15-3 to capture the Myrtle Beach Regional title in front of 4,327 fans at Coastal Federal Field on Monday. The #2-seed Tigers won the regional with a 3-0 record to improve to 41-21 on the season. The #1-seed Chanticleers’ season came to an end with a 50-13 record.

The Tigers advanced to the super-regional round for the seventh time in the ninth year of the format. Only Miami (FL) (8), who was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament this past weekend, has played in more super regionals.

Clemson starter D.J. Mitchell (5-0) earned the win, as he allowed six hits, one run, and one walk with six strikeouts in 5.0 innings pitched. Chanticleer starter Nick McCully (7-3) suffered the loss. The freshman righthander allowed six hits and six runs in 2.1 innings pitched.

The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Marquez Smith reached on a two-out, infield single to second base. Andy D’Alessio followed with a two-run homer into a stiff wind in right field. It was his 16th homer of the season and 58th of his career.

Clemson added to its lead in the third inning with five runs. Brad Chalk hit a one-out triple down the right-field line and scored on Wilson Boyd’s double down the right-field line. Smith followed with a single up the middle to plate Boyd. D’Alessio hit a double to left-center, then Taylor Harbin singled up the middle to score Smith and D’Alessio. After Doug Hogan struck out and Harbin stole second, Addison Johnson singled through the left side on an 0-2 pitch to score Harbin, upping the Tigers’ lead to 7-0.

The Tigers upped their lead to 13-0 thanks to six more runs in the top of the fourth inning. J.D. Burgess led off with a single to left and advanced to third on Chalk’s “hustle” double through the left side on a perfectly-executed hit-and-run. Boyd’s groundout to second scored Chalk, then Smith lined a two-run homer down the left-field line, his 13th of the year. D’Alessio followed with an infield single and Harbin hit a two-run homer down the left-field line, his 10th of the season. Hogan singled through the left side, extending his hitting streak to 13 games. He went to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on Johnson’s groundout to first. Alex Lee singled up the middle to score Hogan. Every Tiger starter had at least one hit in the first four innings.

The Chanticleers dented the scoreboard with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Matt Rademacher led off with a single down the left-field line. Two batters later, Dock Doyle singled up the middle, then Tyler Bortnick singled to right-center to score Rademacher.

Coastal Carolina added two runs in the sixth inning. Rademacher led off with a single up the middle. Two batters later, Doyle reached on a fielding error by D’Alessio. After Bortnick walked to load the bases, Adam Vrable singled up the middle to score Rademacher and Doyle.

Clemson tacked on two runs in the eighth inning. Smith led off with an infield single. Two batters later, Harbin singled to left field and Hogan walked. Johnson walked again to bring home Smith and Harbin scored on a wild pitch.

For the second straight game, four different Tigers tallied at least three hits. Smith had a career-high four hits along with four runs scored, a homer, and three RBIs. Chalk was 3-for-6 with a double, triple, and two runs scored, while D’Alessio was 3-for-4 with a double, homer, three runs scored, and two RBIs. Harbin added three hits, three runs scored, and four RBIs as well.

Clemson will play at Mississippi State, the winner of the Tallahassee (FL) Regional, this weekend in a best-of-three series in the Starkville Super Regional. The first game is slated for Friday, while the second game will be on Saturday. If necessary, a third game will be played on Sunday. The times of the super regional will be announced later in the week.