Mottl Masterful In No. 4 Tigers 7-0 Win Over East Carolina

March 14, 2000

CLEMSON, S.C. – Behind a strong outing by Ryan Mottl, #4 Clemson blanked #17 East Carolina 7-0 Tuesday afternoon at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The Pirates’ four hits was a season-low total and it was the first time they were shutout in 2000.

Ryan Mottl (5-0) picked up the win pitching 7.0 scoreless innings, yielding three hits and two walks while striking out three. He did not allow a runner to reach second base until the sixth inning when Bryant Ward doubled. Mottl ran his record to 20-2 all-time at Doug Kingsmore Stadium and moved into fourth place in the Clemson recordbooks with 28 career wins. Thomas Boozer and Matt Additon pitched one scoreless inning apiece to close out the game. The shutout was the fourth of the season for Tiger pitchers.

Sam Narron (1-1) suffered the loss for East Carolina (17-4), as he allowed five hits and five earned runs in 7.2 innings.

The Tigers (16-2) scored in the third inning when Bradley LeCroy scored on a sacrifice fly by Brian Ellis. The Tigers added four more runs in the fourth. Khalil Greene singled and scored on a triple by Jeff Baker walk, Johnson scored on a groundout by Jarrod Schmidt. A triple by Ryan Riley plated Baker, and Riley then scored on a sacrifice fly by LeCroy.

The Tigers added their final two runs in the eighth inning. A two-out double by Johnson kept the inning alive. Baker followed with a double down the left-field line, plating Johnson. Justin Singleton followed with an opposite-field double, plating Baker.

Johnson led the Tigers with a double, triple, two runs scored, and an RBI in four at bats. Riley added a triple while Baker and Singleton added doubles, meaning five of Clemson’s seven hits were of the extra-base variety.

The two teams will play the second of two games on Wednesday night at 7:00. The game will be televised live on Fox Sports Net South. Freshman righthander Ryan Childs (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will start on the mound for Clemson, while junior lefthander Foye Minton (2-1, 4.79 ERA) will start for the Pirates.