Clemson Takes 2-0 Series Lead With 12-3 Win Over Cougars Sunday

May 6, 2012

Clemson, SC –

Behind 13 hits and 7.0 scoreless innings pitched from starter Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Sunday night. The Tigers, who took a 2-0 series lead, improved to 28-19, while the Cougars dropped to 31-15. Clemson also upped its all-time record against College of Charleston to 23-0.

The Tigers scored two runs in the fifth inning to take a 4-0 lead, then they blew the game open with eight runs on seven hits in the seventh inning. The eight runs were the most in a frame by Clemson in 2012, besting its previous high of six runs. All nine Tiger starters scored at least one run in the contest as well.

Pohle (5-2) tied his career high for innings pitched and strikeouts (5) to earn the win. He also allowed six hits and one walk. Clay Bates retired all six batters he faced to close out the game.

College of Charleston starter Josh Renfro (6-5) suffered the loss, as he yielded six hits, four runs (three earned), and three walks with two strikeouts in 4.0 innings pitched.

The Tigers took the game’s first lead in the second inning thanks to a Cougar error. Jay Baum drew a one-out walk on four pitches and Jon McGibbon lined a single to right field to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. Spencer Kieboom followed with a potential inning-ending, double-play grounder to shortstop Bradley Goodson, but he booted the ball and Baum scored from second base.

Clemson doubled its lead in the fourth inning. Baum led off with a walk, moved to second on McGibbon’s sacrifice bunt, and advanced to third on Kieboom’s flyout to right. Brad Felder followed with a two-out, infield single to score Baum.

In the top of the fifth inning, Jimmy Holton led off with a single up the middle and Marty Gantt followed with a walk after being down in the count 1-2. Goodson hit a sharp grounder headed for centerfield, but shortstop Jason Stolz made a diving stop and started a 6-4-3 double play. Brandon Murray then grounded out to first to end the frame.

Steve Wilkerson led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a walk on six pitches and moved to second on a wild pitch. Thomas Brittle followed with a single to left-center to score Wilkerson. Richie Shaffer lined a single to left field to advance Brittle to third, then Phil Pohl grounded into a double play that enabled Brittle to score.

Clemson added eight runs to its lead in the seventh inning. Wilkerson led off with a triple over the first-base bag and Brittle followed with another triple in the identical spot to score Wilkerson. Shaffer flared a single to right-center to plate Brittle, then Pohl singled to left-center. After Shaffer and Pohl moved up a base on Baum’s sacrifice bunt, McGibbon walked to load the bases. Kieboom then belted a 1-2 pitch down the left-field line for a double to score Shaffer and Pohl. Felder popped a ball up in shallow right-center that fell for a single to score McGibbon, then Stolz bounced a single over third-baseman Brandon Glazer to plate Kieboom. Felder also scored on the play on a throwing error by Murray in left. Stolz later scored on a wild pitch.

In the eighth inning, Gantt led off with a walk and Goodson reached on an infield single. Murray then blasted a three-run homer down the right-field line, his 11th long ball of the season.

Brittle and Shaffer led Clemson’s 13-hit attack with three hits apiece. Brittle went 3-for-5 with a triple, two RBIs, and two runs. He also extended his hitting streak to 20 games. It became the 20th hitting streak of 20 games or more in school history, while he became the 19th Tiger in history to tally a hitting streak of at least 20 games. Shaffer went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI, while Felder went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk.

Holton paced the Cougars’ eight-hit performance with a team-high two hits.

Clemson and College of Charleston will play game-three of the three-game series on Monday at 4:00 PM.