Tigers Take 2-0 Series Lead With 6-3 Win Over Boston College Saturday

March 17, 2012

Clemson, SC –

Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Saturday night. The Tigers, who took a 2-0 series lead, improved to 8-8 overall and 2-3 in the ACC. The Eagles, who lost their eighth game in a row, fell to 6-10 overall and 0-5 in ACC play.

The Eagles took a one-run lead on a two-run homer in the top of the second inning, but the Tigers responded with four runs in the bottom of the second inning and never relinquished the lead. Meanwhile, Leone and Jonathan Meyer kept the Eagles off balance all game to send the Tigers to their second win in a row.

Leone (3-1) pitched 5.2 solid innings in a starting role to earn the win. He gave up just one hit and two runs. Meyer pitched the final 3.1 innings to earn his first save of the year. He allowed three hits, one run, and no walks with five strikeouts. The two righthanders combined to allow four hits, the fewest surrendered by Clemson in 2012. They also held Boston College’s first six starters in the batting order to a combined 0-for-20.

Eagle starter Hunter Gordon (1-1) suffered the loss, as he gave up nine hits, five runs, and five walks with two strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched.

For the second day in a row, the Tigers jumped on the Eagles with a run in the first inning. Richie Shaffer lined a two-out double down the left-field line and scored on Phil Pohl’s single through the left side.

In the top of the second inning, Spenser Payne drew a leadoff walk, then the next two Eagles were retired. But Nate LaPointe belted a two-run homer to left field, his second long ball of the year, to give Boston College the lead.

Clemson responded with four runs in the bottom of the second inning to regain the lead. Leadoff walks by Spencer Kieboom and Dominic Attanasio along with a bloop single to right field by Brad Felder loaded the bases with no outs, then Thomas Brittle blooped another single to right field to score Kieboom. Steve Wilkerson followed with a line-drive single to center to plate Attanasio. Two batters later, Shaffer walked to score Felder, then Pohl flared a single to left field to score Brittle.

Felder gave Clemson a four-run lead in the seventh inning when he laced a solo homer to right-center, his third long ball of the season.

In the ninth inning, pinch-hitter Rob Moir hit a two-out triple to left-center, then John Hennessy flared a single to right-center to score Moir. But pinch-hitter Matt Pare struck out to end the game.

Wilkerson led Clemson’s 11-hit attack by going 3-for-5 with a double, RBI, and steal. Pohl went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk, while Felder went 2-for-4 with a homer and a game-high two runs. Jason Stolz extended his hitting streak to 11 games with an eighth-inning single as well.

Hennessy had two of the Eagles’ four hits along with an RBI, while LaPointe’s homer provided two of the team’s three RBIs.

Clemson and Boston College will play game-three of the three-game series on Sunday at 11:30 AM. The game was originally scheduled for a 12:00 PM start, but the threat of inclement weather forced the change.