#16 Tigers Down Bulldogs 13-1 in First Game of Doubleheader Saturday

May 7, 2011

Clemson, SC –

The #16 Clemson Tigers scored five runs in the third inning and pulled away with a seven-run seventh inning in its 13-1 win over Gardner-Webb in the first game of a doubleheader at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers, who took a 1-0 series lead, improved to 30-15, while the Bulldogs dropped to 28-15-1. With the victory, Clemson reached the 30-win mark for the 37th year in a row.

Tiger starter Dominic Leone (4-1) pitched 7.0 strong innings to earn the win. He allowed just two hits, one run, and one walk with eight strikeouts against a team that entered the week sixth in the nation in batting average (.323).

Kyle Paeplow (3-2), the first of three Bulldog pitchers, suffered the loss. He yielded six hits, six runs, and six walks with three strikeouts in 6.0 innings pitched. Gardner-Webb pitchers combined for 10 walks in the contest.

The Tigers took the game’s first lead in the third inning. John Hinson led off with a single to left and stole second. Brad Miller walked to load the bases with no outs, Will Lamb’s groundout moved Shaffer to third. After Chris Epps followed with another walk and Jason Stolz blooped a single to right field to plate Kieboom and give the Tigers a 5-0 lead.

In the fourth inning, Pohl led off with a double over the third-base bag on a 1-2 pitch. Two batters later, Shaffer’s one-out, bloop single to center advanced Pohl to third, then Jeff Schaus lofted a sacrifice fly to right-center to score Pohl.

The Bulldogs dented the scoreboard in the fifth inning. John Harris lined a two-out single to right field, Gardner-Webb’s first hit of the game, and scored on Aaron Miller’s triple to left-center.

Clemson added to its lead with seven runs in the seventh inning. Schaus led off with a walk and Lamb lined a single to left field to extend his hitting streak to 20 games. Kieboom followed with a bloop single to center on a 1-2 pitch to load the bases with no outs. Epps walked to bring home Schaus, then Kieboom hit a sacrifice fly to right-center to score Lamb. Hinson followed with a single through the right side to plate Kieboom. After both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch, pinch-hitter Mike Dunster grounded a double over the third-base bag to score Epps and Hinson. Miller and pinch-hitter Jon McGibbon both walked to reload the bases, then pinch-hitter Joe Costigan belted a single to center to score Dunster and Miller.

Shaffer led Clemson’s 11-hit attack by going 2-for-4 with a three-run double and steal. Hinson went 2-for-5 with two runs and a steal, while Brad Miller went 1-for-2 with a double, two runs, three walks, and two stolen bases. Lamb’s 20-game hitting streak is the Tigers’ 19th of 20 games or more in school history.

Aaron Miller had two of the Bulldogs’ five hits and the team’s lone RBI.

Clemson and Gardner-Webb will play the second game of the doubleheader at 6:00 PM.