Clemson Baseball: Bats Carry Tigers to 15-5 win over KSU

Tigers Dominate Owls 15-5

Bats were hot for the Clemson Tigers Tuesday night, as the team’s 17 hits plated 15 in the Tigers 10-run, 7 inning victory over Kennesaw State.

With this win, the Tigers are now 10-4 in April, and are currently riding a four game win streak here in the final days of the month.

RECAP

Though Clemson would go on to win this one comfortably, Kennesaw State looked poised to compete with the Tigers in the early goings.

After back to back doubles in the 2nd, KSU shortstop Wade Richardson sent a two-run shot into right center field to give the Owls the early 3-0 lead. Spencer Hanson would follow it up in the 3rd with a two run blast of his own to make it 5 on the board for the Owl in the first 3 innings of play.

The Tigers would not back down, however. A solo shot by Kyle Wright would get the Tigers on the board in the second. Blackwell, who reached base via an infield single, would later come around to score on a passed ball. In the 3rd, Tiger’s catcher Jacob Jarrell would send a two run homer just over the outfield wall to bring the Tigers within 1.

https://twitter.com/ClemsonBaseball/status/1651000809210146816?cxt=HHwWgMDTzaKfxOktAAAA

From that point forward, it was all Clemson. Over the next four innings, the Tiger’s offense would push 11 runs across the plate. This total was sparked by a barrage of walks, singles, and extra base hits, as well as a two-run homer from Caden Grice.

https://twitter.com/ClemsonBaseball/status/1651020950706745344?cxt=HHwWgMDTudSzzektAAAA

Despite a rocky start, Clemson’s pitching eventually found its rhythm. Impressive displays from Ty Olenchuk (2.2 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 K) and Reed Garris (1.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 Ks) contained KSU’s bats after the 3rd inning.

An RBI single by Grice in the 7th sent fans home early, as the run scored by Jarrell would give the Tigers a 15-5 lead, and enact the 10-run mercy rule to end the ball game.

POTG: Caden Grice; 3-4, 5 RBI, 1 double, 1 HR, 2 runs scored, 2 BB)

TAKEAWAYS

This game showcased just how drastically the Tigers have improved since the start of the season. When these two teams last met on March 22nd, the Tigers needed a 4 run 8th to break a 2-2 tie which held for the majority of the ball game. Fans see these same two teams meet in April, and it’s noncompetitive.

While an improved pitching staff has complimented the team’s overall growth, it is clear the catalyst for last night’s victory was due to the Tiger’s offensive prowess. Every starter in Clemson’s lineup earned a base hit and scored a run.

The success is not due to a barrage of homers. Rather, it can be attributed to their patience in competitive at-bats. Over their last four games, the Tiger hitters have consistently gone deep into counts, earning hard fought base knocks or working walks, which they did 8 times in last night’s matchup. The result: 42 runs scored in their last 4 games, an average of 10.5 runs per game.

If the Clemson Tigers are able to maintain this level of offensive success, they should be able to compete with some of the top teams in the ACC.

https://twitter.com/ClemsonBaseball/status/1651044000051392512?cxt=HHwWgMDTuafx1-ktAAAA

Fans will have an opportunity to put that theory to the test come Friday, as the Clemson Tigers will look to extend their winning streak this weekend against no. 11 Boston College.