Clemson Come Back to Defeat Winthrop 5-4 Tuesday

March 4, 2003

Clemson, SC- The 18th ranked Clemson baseball team improved to 4-3 on the year with a dramatic victory over Winthrop Tuesday evening. The Tigers needed a two-out single from shortstop Russell Triplett to score the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning sealing a 5-4 victory. Senior second baseman David Slevin scored the winning run for the Tigers who trailed for most of the game.

After holding an early 1-0 lead, the Tigers had to fight back to tie the score at four in the bottom of the eighth inning with some aggressive play. After Triplett singled to center, first baseman Brad McCann followed with an RBI groundout to the second baseman plating Triplett and advancing Johnson to third. Kyle Frank entered the game as a pinch hitter and laid down a sacrifice bunt that scored Johnson to tie the game 4-4.

Clemson chipped away at a 4-1 Winthrop lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. After sophomore right fielder Jeff Hourigan earned a walk, designated hitter Kris Harvey slapped a base hit down the third base line that stretched Eagle third baseman David Scoggin too far to make the play. Tiger catcher Brady Everett then earned his first career hit and RBI for the Tigers with a single to left field that scored Hourigan making the score 4-2.

Clemson’s early 1-0 lead did not last long as Winthrop put together a fourth inning rally to take a 4-1 lead. First baseman Bennett Stapf got things started for the Eagles with a single up the middle. After designated hitter Grant Neidenfeuhr hit another single to right field, right fielder Daniel Carte knocked in Stapf with a single to center to tie the score at 1-1.

Left fielder Jacob Dempsey earned a walk, and third baseman David Scoggin followed with a single to right, which plated Neidenfeuhr making the score 2-1.

Winthrop catcher Chris Leroux reached on an error as the ball found its way into right. Cartee scored from third to make the score 3-1.

Shortstop Matt Repec hit a sacrifice fly to center field scoring Dempsey to stretch the lead to 4-1 and complete the scoring in the Winthrop fourth.

Clemson got on the board first in the bottom half of the third inning on a David Slevin home run. The senior second baseman hit his first career home run despite entering Tuesday’s contest 0-10 at the plate on the year.

Freshman right hander Brett Murphy earned the victory for the Tigers (1-0) after 2.2 innings of work to close the game.

Jody Elkins, a senior right hander, was credited with the loss fir the Eagles (0-1). He entered the game after senior left hander Jeremy Plexico went 7.0 innings, giving up nine hits, four runs (three earned), two walks and one strikeout.

Clemson will return to action Wednesday afternoon as they play host to the College of Charleston Cougars at 4:00 PM.