Baseball Downs James Madison, 12-4

Feb. 26, 2000

CLEMSON, S.C. – Senior Ryan Mottl pitched 5.0 shutout innings and #9 Clemson scored 10 runs in the fifth inning on its way to a 12-4 victory over James Madison in front of 3,171 fans Saturday afternoon at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Clemson improved to 7-1, while James Madison dropped to 6-4.

Mottl (3-0) threw 69 pitches in his 5.0 innings of work to pick up the win. He lowered his ERA to 0.56 as he struck out five while allowing just two hits. Mottl also improved his record to 18-2 all-time at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Ryan Childs, B.J. LaMura, Chad Bendinelli, and Paul Harrelson closed out the game for the Tigers. Duke starter Mike Trussell (0-2) suffered the loss.

Clemson and James Madison were scoreless until the Tiger bats came alive in the fifth. The Tigers, led by freshman Jarrod Schmidt, had 11 straight runners reach base with one out, 10 of which came by base hit. Schmidt broke a 19 at-bat hitless streak when he singled home the first of the 10 runs in the fifth. Schmidt added a two-run double later in the inning. The Tigers’ only hit prior to the fifth inning was a bunt in the second inning by Casey Stone.

James Madison got on the board with two runs in the seventh. Brent Metheny scored the Dukes’ first run on a B.J. LaMura wild pitch. Jeremy Hays scored later in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Dan Woodley.

Five different Tigers had two hits apiece, including Schmidt, who was 2-for-3 with three RBIs, and Patrick Boyd, who had two RBIs. The Tigers’ 12 runs and 15 hits were both season highs. Metheny paced the Dukes with two hits and two RBIs.

For the second straight game, James Madison left more runners on base than Clemson, stranding nine to Clemson’s six.

Clemson and James Madison will conclude the three-game series Sunday at 2:00.