After an eleven month layoff, the much anticipated Clemson baseball season is off and running in 2021.
The Tigers got the season underway by hosting Cincinnati, knocking off the Bearcats 5-0 on Friday. It began with a great start by RHP Davis Sharpe, who went 5 innings, allowing just one hit and one walk, while striking out nine in picking up his first win of the season.
LHP Mat Clark went the final four innings to get the save, allowing just one hit, while striking out six.
Clemson got runners on and threatened early but weren’t able to scratch out any runs. They also had two runners tagged out at the plate and one tagged out on a snap throw from the catcher to first in the early innings.
The Tigers were finally able to get a runner home in the bottom of the fifth when Dylan Brewer was able to score Bryce Teodosio from third on a base hit to right field.
Jonathan French then got the first home run of his career with a shot to center that scored Elijah Henderson and Dylan Brewer in the bottom the seventh that built Clemson’s lead to 4-0. Later in that inning Pierce Gallo scored on a double by Caden Grice, who was thrown out at third on the play trying to stretch his hit into a triple. That score made it 5-0 Tigers.
For Clemson, this one was all about the pitching of Sharpe and Clark. After the second inning the two combined for 18 straight outs before Clark gave up a base hit with two outs in the top of the eighth.
Clemson now will get ready to take on the Bearcats in the second game of the series at 3pm on Saturday. LHP Dean McCarthy goes for Cincinnati, while freshman RHP Ty Olenchuk starts for Clemson.
