Florida State Eliminates Clemson With 5-4 Victory

May 18, 2001

Baker Audio

FORT MILL, SC – Florida State used three straight singles in the ninth inning to score the game-winning run and eliminate Clemson from the ACC Tournament in a 5-4 victory on Friday. The Seminoles improved to 42-16 while the Tigers dropped to 38-20.

With the game tied 4-4 in the ninth inning, Florida State put runners on first and second after singles by John-Ford Griffin and Ryan Barthelemy. Karl Jernigan followed with a line drive to left field that dropped in front of left fielder Casey Stone and allowed Griffin to score the game-winning run.

Florid State’s Eric Roman (3-2) picked up the win while Josh Cram (4-2) got the loss for Clemson. The reliever got the Tigers out of a jam in the eighth inning but yielded the Seminole run in the ninth.

Clemson opened the scoring in the second inning with Michael Johnson’s home run over the fence in right field. His 14th homer of the year put the Tigers ahead 1-0. In the third inning, Casey Stone singled, stole second base and then scored on Khalil Greene’s line drive double down the left field line that increased the Tiger lead to 2-0.

Florida State got on the board in the bottom of the inning thanks to three singles. Scott Toole scored after hits by Griffin and Barthelemy but Clemson starter Jarrod Schmidt avoided further trouble by getting Jernigan to pop out.

The Tigers added another run in the fifth. Ryan Riley walked and moved to third on a hit-and-run with Stone, then scored on a passed ball for a 3-1 Clemson advantage.

The Seminoles pulled even in the bottom of the sixth with Michael Futrell’s two-run homer to left field. Tony Richie followed with a single to right field that knocked Schmidt out of the game, but Nick Glaser came in and recorded the final two outs of the inning.

Clemson reclaimed the lead in the eighth inning when Jeff Baker hit Robby Read’s first pitch towering over the fence in left field. The home run, which was just inside the foul line, was Baker’s 22nd of the season, two shy of the Clemson single-season record.

Rogers singled, stole second base, then moved to third base on Futrell’s bunt single. The Seminoles tied it up on Richie’s RBI single and had runners at first and second with one out when Cram entered the game. He induced an inning-ending double play on his very first pitch and gave the offense a chance to go ahead in the ninth inning.

Stone led the way for Clemson on offense with two hits while Baker and Johnson both homered. Stone now has extended his hit streak to 10 games, the longest current streak on the team.

Clemson will return to action on Friday, May 25 at 7:00 PM as the host of one of 16 NCAA Regionals. The other three teams in the Clemson Regional will be announced on Monday at 3:00 PM.