Clemson gets the series win over a scrappy Bearcats team that showed a lot of fight on Saturday.
Clemson got off to a great start with a run in the first by playing small ball. That run came after freshman Blake Wright snuck a ball inside the third base bag for a double and his first career hit. He was then moved over to third and he came in on a groundout by Elijah Henderson.
In the top of the third Jake Murray put down a bunt single with one out. He then stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch by freshman starter Ty Olenchuk. It was the first Cincinnati runner to pass first base in the series but the Tiger freshman was able to get out of the inning without him scoring.
Clemson got another good start. Olenchuk went 4.2 innings, allowed two hits, and had three strikeouts in his first career start.
The Tigers scored three more runs in the fifth. One came off a sacrifice fly to center by Bryce Teodosio, then another on a bases loaded walk to Wright, and the third on a sacrifice fly to right field by Dylan Brewer.
The first run of the series for the Bearcats came in the sixth inning when Paul Komistek lead off with a homerun off the glove of Teodosio in center field. The veteran centerfielder punched the outfield wall in frustration when he didn’t come down with the ball.
Cincinnati then picked up another run in the seventh, however Rasesh Pandya then entered and stranded a runner in scoring position with a strikeout in his first Clemson appearance.
After Brewer drew a leadoff walk and stole second in the eighth, Jonathan French ripped a single to left field that drove him in and give the Tigers another insurance run, making it 5-2.
Clemson now will prepare for their final matchup with the Bearcats, scheduled for 1pm on Sunday. The game will feature a matchup between LHP Garrett Schoenle for Cincinnati against freshman LHP Caden Grice for Clemson.
