Following a loss yesterday to the West Virginia Mountaineers, the Clemson Tigers baseball team was in a win-or-go-home situation in the NCAA Tournament.
The Tigers’ tough loss to the Kentucky Wildcats on Sunday brought their hard-fought season to a close.
The Wildcats won the game, 16-4, setting up a game with West Virginia. If the Mountaineers win Sunday night, they will advance to super regionals against the winner of the LSU regional. If Kentucky wins, the two teams will play again on Monday.
It was going to be a tough road for Clemson after the loss to WVU. The Wildcats made forcing another game impossible for the Tigers.
After the first inning the Tigers and Wildcats were tied, 2-2. In the third inning, things started to fall apart for Clemson.
The Wildcats had five players cross home plate to take a 7-2 lead, helped by Clemson defensive mistakes.
The fourth inning proved worse for Clemson. Even with a run scored in the top of the frame, the Tigers allowed six more runs to Kentucky, with Clemson’s leaky defense playing a big role, as the Wildcats took a commanding 13-3 lead going into the fifth.
The Wildcats slowed down offensively after the fifth inning, but the damage was one. Clemson scored just one more run. The only Tiger to have multiple hits was second baseman Jarren Purify.
Clemson started Talan Ball on the mound, but he quickly gave way to relievers B.J. Bailey and Chance Fitzgerald. Each completed fewer than three innings. Clemson used six pitchers and the Tigers only struck out three hittters. They allowed 13 hits.
Kentucky’s Nate Harris was the starter, threw six innings and struck out seven. The Wildcats used Evan Byers, Nile Adcock, and Leighton Harris for an inning each in relief and combined they only allowed one run and three hits.
Wildcats right fielder Ryan Schwartz made a huge impact at the plate, as he went 2-for-4 with four RBI to lead the Kentucky offense.
While the Tigers were strong all year at home (27-9) this was just not their weekend. Clemson closed out a strong season with a 45-18 record. But, given that the Tigers were at one time the No. 3 team in the nation, falling short of super regionals — which they reached last year — will sting the program for some time.
