Tigers Stay Alive with 5-4 Victory over Birmingham-Southern Saturday Night in Athens Regional

June 5, 2004

Athens, GA (AP) –

Travis Storrer’s RBI single in the ninth rallied Clemson past Birmingham Southern 5-4 in an elimination game of the NCAA Regionals Saturday night. Clemson (38-25) plays Georgia in the championship game Sunday at 2:00 PM. The Tigers will be the home team for any and all games Sunday and occupy the third-base dugout.

Storrer, who hit a two-run homer in the second inning, drove in Garrick Evans, who led off the ninth with a double to right, Clemson’s sixth of the game. That tied a school record for the most doubles in an NCAA Tournament game.

Reliever Patrick Hogan (3-3) pitched in trouble but picked up the win in three innings of work. The game featured comebacks on both sides and was close throughout, in contrast to Clemson’s 10-6 win Friday night.

Clemson wasted its first two doubles in the first two innings, but Storrer’s two-run shot in the third cleared the 404-foot sign in center with ease. Storrer hit it well over the 314-sign down the right field line in the fifth as well, but it was ruled a foul ball. He subsequently struck out.

The 2-0 lead held until the sixth. The Panthers’ Michael Wydner led off with a double. He later came in on Michael Cline’s single. First baseman Connor Robertson hit his 21st homer of the year to give Birmingham Southern (47-18) a 3-2 lead.

But when Robertson moved from first base to the mound in relief of starter Brandon Hynick, he could not hold the lead.

Inheriting Evans at second, on with a double, Robertson gave up a double by Tony Sipp past a diving Mac Godwin at first, scoring Evans. Brad McCann’s two-out single to left put the Tigers ahead 4-3.

But Birmingham Southern tied the game in the seventh off Hogan when Wydner singled in Jonathan Sanford from second. One pitch earlier Ryan Griffith had been caught stealing at home when Wydner failed to make contact on a suicide squeeze attempt.

Evans and Sipp each had three hits, including two doubles apiece. Kris Harvey also extended his hitting streak to 19 games.