#16 Tigers Tame Golden Eagles 10-1 in Auburn Regional Friday

June 4, 2010

Auburn, AL –

Sophomore righthander Scott Weismann tossed 7.0 strong innings and the Tigers broke up a tight game with six runs in the sixth inning in #16 Clemson’s 10-1 victory over Southern Mississippi in front of 2,875 fans at Plainsman Park in the Auburn Regional on Friday afternoon. The Tigers, who moved into the winners’ bracket, improved to 39-21 in 2010. The Golden Eagles, who faced Clemson for the first-ever time on the diamond, fell to 35-23.

Weismann (7-2) earned the win by pitching a season-tying-high 7.0 innings, allowing just four hits, one run, and one walk with six strikeouts. It was the second year in a row Weismann had a stellar outing in NCAA Tournament play. In two career NCAA Tourney starts, he is 2-0 and has allowed just eight hits (.160 opponents’ batting average), one run (0.60 ERA), and four walks with eight strikeouts in 15.0 innings pitched. Ironically, both teams that Weismann has defeated in the NCAA Tourney (Tennessee Tech, Southern Mississippi) have the nickname “Golden Eagles.”

Southern Mississippi starter Scott Copeland (11-1) suffered his first loss of the year. In 5.1 innings pitched, he yielded nine hits, seven runs (six earned), and two walks with no strikeouts.

The Tigers took the game’s first lead of the game in the first inning. Will Lamb led off with a single through the right side and scored when Mike Freeman belted a double to left-center on a 1-2 pitch. After Freeman advanced to third on Jeff Schaus’ groundout, he scored on Kyle Parker’s sacrifice fly down the right-field line to give Clemson a 2-0 lead.

Clemson squandered a big opportunity to add to its lead in the second inning. John Hinson and Wilson Boyd reached on an error on his sacrifice bunt to load the bases with no outs. But Spencer Kieboom grounded into a 5-2-3 double play. After Lamb walked to load the bases again, Freeman grounded out to end the frame.

The Golden Eagles cut the Tigers’ lead in half in the top of the fifth inning. Joey Archer led off with a double to left-center. Two batters later, Tyler Koelling laced a one-out double to right-center to score Archer. Prior to Koelling’s double, Weismann had pitched 12.1 innings in NCAA Tournament play over two seasons without allowing a runner to reach third base or score.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Lamb lined a solo homer to right-center, his fourth long ball of the season. Freeman reached with one out on an error and advanced to second on the play. Two batters later, Parker lined a two-out single to left field to plate Freeman.

Clemson broke open a three-run game with six runs in the sixth ining. Hinson led off with a solo home run to right field, his 13th long ball of the year. Two batters later, Boyd belted a one-out double to right-center. Kieboom walked and pinch-runner Addison Johnson advanced to third on a wild pitch, then Lamb grounded a single through the right side to bring home Johnson. After Freeman walked on four pitches to load the bases, Schaus singled through the right side to score Kieboom and Lamb. After Parker struck out for out #2, Freeman scored on a passed ball as Schaus stole second, then Miller singled through the right side to score Schaus, giving Clemson a 10-1 lead. It also extended Miller’s hitting streak to 11 games.

Lamb paced Clemson’s 12-hit attack by going 3-for-3 with a homer, two RBIs, three runs, and a walk from his leadoff spot in the batting order. Schaus went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Hinson went 2-for-4 with a home run. With Clemson’s 10 runs, it marked the eighth game in a row that the Tigers scored at least eight runs.

Kameron Brunty had a team-high two hits for Southern Mississippi, who had six hits in the game.

Clemson will play the winner of Friday’s Auburn vs. Jacksonville State game on Saturday at 7:00 PM EDT.