What would the definition of a great day in Tigertown be? Some have said that any day in Clemson is a great day. Well, when it comes to athletics and Clemson it’s not very often that you can experience what some fans had the opportunity for on Saturday.
It was already being touted as a busy weekend for Clemson athletics. The Lady Tigers were taking on Maryland and Michigan State in a softball double header on Saturday. The baseball team played their first series of the season against Liberty. The basketball team took on #5 Louisville, the Lady Tigers hosted Wake Forest in Tennis, and the Tigers indoor track and field team hosted an event.
With all of this going on it would be busy, but it’s not often that fans get to experience what some would call the college sports trifecta from the big three. Lets look at exactly what Tiger fans had the opportunity to witness on Saturday.
- Tiger fans got the opportunity to witness the softball team dismantle Maryland 21-2, while hitting two grand slams in the second inning of game one game of the doubleheader.
- Fans would also get the opportunity to witness a 2-1 come from behind victory for the softball team, that included another homerun by Marissa Guimbarda that got them the lead and the win.
- They also got the opportunity to see the baseball team get a 1-0 win over Liberty. Three pitchers combined for the shut out Liberty, giving up just five hits. Davis Sharpe got the win, Keyshawn Askew threw some in the middle innings, and freshman Nick Clayton got his first career save. The Tigers took the lead in the 5th when Mac Starbuck was hit by a pitch with one out, then moved to 2nd on a single by Henderson. Kier Meredith smoked a 3-1 pitch to center for a single that scored Starbuck for the 1-0 lead and winning run.
- Last but definitely not least was the 4pm matchup in LittleJohn with fifth ranked Louisville. Clemson not only got the win but destroyed the Cardinals while getting it. They took the lead in the first half and rode John Newman III’s career high 23 points to victory. With this win they became the first Clemson team to have two wins over top five teams in the same season since 1979-80, when the Tigers had three wins over top five teams.
It was a near perfect day for spring sports in Tigertown. Some will still be reflecting years from now on Saturday’s games. How they went down, whether they were present, or if they watched them from afar. No matter the sport or reason for being there….It’s always a great day to be a Tiger, and even better when you get to witness any win in any sport in the upstate.
