Bullpen Leads 10th-Ranked Clemson to 7-4 Win over Elon Wednesday

March 22, 2006

Clemson, SC-

Tenth-ranked Clemson made the most of three hits and five Elon errors on the way to a 7-4 win over the Phoenix in front of 3,136 fans at Doug Kingsmore Stadium Wednesday. The Tigers won both games of the two game set to improve to 13-6, while Elon dropped consecutive games for the first time in 2006 and fell to 17-8.

Andy D’Alessio homered for the second time in as many games for Clemson, and also added three RBIs. Chris Price was 2-for-5 to lead Elon, and recorded his 200th career hit with a single in the fifth.

Freshman lefthander Alex Martin (1-0) pitched 3.1 innings of relief, allowing no runs on four hits to pick up his first career win. Daniel Moskos pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record his first career save. Along with Martin and Moskos, Matt Vaughn and Steve Richard combined to give Clemson four relievers that pitched 7.1 innings, and allowed no runs on four hits. Jesse Lewter allowed four runs (two earned) in 4.2 innings pitched and took the loss for the Phoenix, falling to 0-1.

Donny Jobe led off the game with a double to right-center, and scored one out later on a single by Price.

The Tigers scored two runs without getting a hit in the first. Herman Demmink walked to lead off the inning, and moved to second when Brad Chalk was hit by a pitch. Taylor Harbin scored Demmink with a sacrifice fly to center, and Chalk scored on a D’Alessio RBI groundout.

Elon answered by scoring three runs without getting a hit in the second. Tiger starter P.J. Zocchi walked four of the first five Phoenix hitters to score one run, and a wild pitch scored another. Clemson brought in Martin, and another wild pitch plated the third Elon run of the inning.

Stan Widmann walked to lead off the second and went to third with one out on an errant throw off a failed pickoff attempt at first by Elon starting pitcher Justin Bors. An RBI groundout by Doug Hogan plated Widmann. After two innings, Clemson and Elon had combined for seven runs on only two hits.

Alex Burg drew a two-out walk in the third, and stole second. Widmann tied the score at 4-4 with a single to center, scoring Burg.

Hogan hit a ball to deep right to lead off the fourth that bounced out of the glove of Grant Rembert, allowing Hogan to advance all the way to third on the error. He later scored on a wild pitch.

Harbin reached on a throwing error to lead off the seventh, and scored on D’Alessio’s towering two-run home run to right, his fourth of the season.

In the two games against Elon, Clemson freshman pitchers Ryan Hinson, Martin, and Vaughn combined for 10.1 innings pitched, and gave up only one run on six hits, and struck out 10.

Clemson returns to ACC action Friday when it hosts N.C. State at 7:15 PM at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.