Baseball Sweeps Old Dominion, 12-7

Feb. 22, 1998

CLEMSON, SC–Matt Padgett blasted a three-run homer, had three hits and three RBIs to lead 16th ranked Clemson to a 12-7 victory over Old Dominion Sunday afternoon and evening. The contest lasted nearly four hours, not including a one-hour 40-minute rain delay.

Clemson improved its record to 8-1, while Old Dominion fell to 1-5. The Tigers had won a pair of one-run games earlier in the weekend over Old Dominion, 5-4 and 11-10. The Tigers will next be in action this Friday, Saturday and Sunday when they play host to UNC-Wilmington.

Brian Adams got the win in relief on Sunday for Jack Leggett’s club. The Tigers are now 37-7 in the month of February under Leggett, including 25-3 at home. Adams pitched three innings and did not allow an earned run. He allowed just two hits and struck out two in gaining his first career win. He had pitched just 2 1/3 innings over Clemson’s first eight games.

Clemson did not need any late inning heroics as it had on Friday and Saturday in raising its all-time record to 23-5 against the Monarchs.

Six different Clemson players had multi-hit games. Kurt Bultmann, Peter Nystrom and Padgett had three hits apiece for the Tigers, while Jason Harris, Henri Stanley and Doug Roper had two apiece, as Clemson had a season high 18 hits.

Old Dominion was paced by Tony Gsell, Anthony Forelli and Jason Greiner, who had two hits apiece. Greiner had a team best three RBIs. Jesse James took the loss for Old Dominion. Clemson got five earned runs in four innings off the Old Dominion starter.

Clemson held a 4-1 lead through three innings, but Old Dominion scored two runs in the top of the fourth on a two-run homer by Greiner. Two years ago, Greiner was a red-shirt at Clemson. His homer to the opposite field closed the gap to 4-3. In the bottom of the fourth, the rains increased and play was halted for an hour and 40 minutes.

Old Dominion took a 5-4 lead in the top of the fifth when Anthony Forelli walked with the bases loaded and Tim Hummel grounded out to score another.

Clemson scored four in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead for good. Kurt Bultmann led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a single by Jason Harris. A Peter Nystrom double scored Bultmann with the tying run. Padgett then cleared the bases with a three-run homer deep over the right field fence.

Clemson put the game out of reach with four runs on five hits in the seventh. Henri Stanley opened the inning with a home run, his first of the season. Doug Roper followed with a double, his sixth hit in the last two games. A single by Patrick Boyd, a triple by Bultmann and a sacrifice fly by Jason Harris were the key plays of the inning for the Tigers.