Blue Hose Downs #16 Clemson 4-3 Wednesday at Fluor Field

March 16, 2011

Greenville, SC –

Tony Micklon scored the go-ahead run on an error with two outs in the eighth inning to give Presbyterian College a 4-3 win over #16 Clemson in front of 1,851 fans at Fluor Field on Wednesday night. The Blue Hose won its seventh game in a row and improved to 11-6 on the season. The Tigers dropped their fifth game in a row and fell to 7-7 in 2011.

The Blue Hose scored single runs in the first, second, and third innings to build a 3-1 lead. Behind a solo homer by Phil Pohl and a run-scoring single by Steve Wilkerson in the fifth inning, the Tigers tied the score. But Clemson could not dent the scoreboard during the remainder of the game and Presbyterian College capitalized on Clemson’s third error of the game to earn the Blue Hose’s first victory over the Tigers since 1949. The Tigers entered the game on a five-game winning streak in the series.

Freshman righthander Chandler Knox (2-1) pitched the final 2.2 innings to earn the win. He allowed one hit, no runs, and one walk with three strikeouts. Lefty starter Steven Richardson pitched 6.1 strong innings, allowing six hits, three runs, and one walk with five strikeouts.

Justin Sarratt (0-1), the second of four Tiger pitchers, suffered the loss despite an effective outing. He yielded four hits, two runs (one earned), and no walks with eight strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched. The four Clemson hurlers combined for 15 strikeouts against only one walk.

The Blue Hose took the game’s first lead in the first inning. Andrew Williams led off with a double to right-center. Three batters later, Brad Zebedis grounded a two-out double down the left-field line to score Williams.

In the top of the second inning, Nate Horton reached on a bad-hop single with one out and went to second on Tyler Hill’s infield single. John Wagner followed with a bloop single to right-center to score Horton. The Blue Hose loaded the bases when Williams reached on a fielding error by shortstop Will Lamb struck out the next two batters to end the inning.

The Tigers answered with a run in the bottom of the second inning. John Hinson’s opposite-field double off the top of the “Green Monster” in left field. Phil Pohl then lofted a sacrifice fly to right field to score Shaffer.

In the third inning, Zebedis led off with a double down the left-field line, went to third on Micklon’s sacrifice bunt, and scored when Aaron Preston reached on another fielding error by Stolz.

Phil Pohl cut Presbyterian College’s lead in half when he belted the first pitch of the bottom of the fifth inning over the wall in left field for a solo homer, his second long ball of the season. Jon McGibbon followed with a single through the right side and advanced to second base on Stolz’s sacrifice bunt. Wilkerson then grounded a single up the middle to plate McGibbon and tie the score.

The Blue Hose took advantage of a critical Tiger error to regain the lead in the eighth inning. Micklon led off with a single through the left side and advanced to second on Preston’s sacrifice bunt. After Horton walked, Kyle Galloway struck out for out #2. The runners moved up a base on a wild pitch, then pinch-hitter Kenny Bryant hit a routine chopper to Wilkerson at second. Shaffer was playing the ball, therefore Alex Frederick was covering the first-base bag. But Frederick dropped the throw on what would have been out #3, allowing Micklon to score the go-ahead run.

In the ninth inning, Pohl ripped a one-out single through the left side, but pinch-runner Brad Miller was caught too far off first base on a pitch in the dirt and was picked off for out #2. Knox then struck out Chris Epps to end the game.

Zebedis hit two doubles and Micklon added two hits for the Blue Hose, who outhit the Tigers 10-7.

Pohl went 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs to pace Clemson.

Clemson will face Duke in a three-game series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium starting Friday at 6:30 PM.