Shaffer Ties School Record in #19 Tigers’ 16-4 Win Over Holy Cross Wednesday

March 7, 2012

Clemson, SC –

Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Wednesday. The Tigers improved to 6-4 on the season, while the Crusaders dropped to 3-5. It was the first meeting between the two since the 1958 College World Series.

Shaffer helped the Tigers tally season highs for runs and hits (16) by going 3-for-4 with three doubles, one RBI, three runs, and two walks. It was the 16th time in history that a Tiger totaled three doubles in a game, while he became the 13th Tiger in history to accomplish the feat. The last Tiger to register three doubles in a game was Marquez Smith, who hit three doubles against Florida State on May 12, 2006.

Pohl went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a game-high five RBIs, four runs, and one walk for the Tigers, who scored at least one run in seven of the eight innings in which they batted and scored at least two runs in six different innings. McGibbon went 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs, while Attanasio came off the bench to go 2-for-2 with three RBIs. In all, Clemson amassed seven doubles, 10 walks, and two hit-by-pitches in the contest.

Senior righthander David Haselden (1-0), the first of six Tiger hurlers, earned the win by tossing 5.0 innings. He allowed six hits, one run, and no walks with two strikeouts.

Nate Walker (0-3), the first of six Crusader pitchers, suffered the loss, as he yielded two hits, four runs, and two walks with one strikeout in 2.0 innings pitched.

The Crusaders wasted little time taking the game’s first lead in the top of the first inning. Alex Maldonado led off with a single to center and advanced to third on Evan Ocello’s single to right-center. Mike Ahmed grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, but Maldonado scored on the play. It was the first run allowed in the first inning by the Tigers in 2012.

Thomas Brittle led off the bottom of the first inning with a walk on eight pitches. After Brittle stole second and third, he scored on Pohl’s sacrifice fly to center.

After the Tigers got out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam without giving up a run in the top of the second inning, they took the lead on McGibbon’s two-run homer to right field in the bottom of the second inning. It was the sophomore’s first long ball of the season, second of his career, and first career homer at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Garrett Boulware, who led off with a hit-by-pitch, also scored on the home run.

Steve Wilkerson led off the third inning with a double to right field and moved to third on a balk. After Shaffer walked, Pohl doubled to left-center to score Wilkerson. Joe Costigan lofted a sacrifice fly to deep right field to plate Shaffer, then Boulware walked. Two batters later, Jason Stolz lined a two-out single to left field to score Pohl.

The first two Tigers in the fourth inning were retired, then Pohl and Costigan reached on singles. After Boulware was hit-by-pitch to load the bases, McGibbon belted a single to right field to score Pohl and Costigan.

In the fifth inning, Tyler Slaton led off with a walk. Two batters later, Wilkerson reached on a one-out bunt single, then Shaffer ripped an 0-2 pitch to left-center for a double to score Slaton. Pohl followed with a sacrifice fly to left-center to score Wilkerson.

Chris Sintetos led off the top of the seventh inning with a single to left field and advanced to third base on pinch-hitter Kyle Stearns’ double down the left-field line. Two batters later, Brandon Cipolla laced a one-out single to center to score Sintetos, then Maldonado grounded out to short to score Stearns. Pinch-hitter Josh Olson reached on an infield single and Cipolla scored from second on the play when Baum’s throw to first was errant.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Baum led off with an infield single and went to third on Shaffer’s double down the left-field line. Pohl followed with a double down the left-field line to score Baum and Shaffer. Two batters later with one out, Attanasio, a pinch-hitter, belted a single to left-center to score Pohl.

Clemson added to its lead in the eighth inning after the first two batters were retired. Shaffer lined a double to left-center and Pohl walked. Mike Dunster followed with a double to left-center to score Shaffer, then Attanasio singled up the middle to score Pohl and Dunster.

Jordan Enos, Stephen Wadsworth, and Andrew Barry had two hits apiece to lead Holy Cross, who totaled 13 hits in the game. Ten different Crusaders had at least one hit.

Clemson will open up ACC play this weekend when it hosts #6 North Carolina in a three-game series starting Friday at 4:00 PM.