Tigers Fall to Vanderbilt 4-3

It started off well for the Tigers, with Chris Williams and Drew Wharton each having an RBI single to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead in the first. Logan Davidson scored Sam Hall in the second to make it 3-0, but then Vandy responded with an RBI single and a two run shot to tie everything up in the bottom of the inning. The three run second inning was a black mark on an otherwise serviceable start for left Jake Higginbotham, who went 3.1 innings. Commodore shortstop Connor Kaiser ripped an RBI single in the fifth to put Vandy up 4-3, which was all Vandy needed for the win. Clemson’s last hope came in the top of thd ninth as Seth Beer came to bat with two outs and Logan Davidson on first. Beer found himself down 0-2 quickly after missing on a pair of big swings. He eventually launched one to centerfield where it fell harmlessly in Austin Martin’s glove for the final out. Tiger pitcher Carson Spiers pitched well in the late innings, going 2.2 innings, allowing one hit and one walk, while striking out four.

The Tigers find themselves in a familiar place, having to win two games on Sunday in order to force an elimination game on Monday. Clemson will take on the St. John’s Red Storm tomorrow at noon. The Red Storm fell 2-0 to the Dores on Friday. The winner of tomorrow’s game will face Vandy later on at 7:00 PM.

Weather delays have been the common theme all throughout this NCAA tournament. Both days of the Clemson regional have featured weather delays, while ten of the sixteen regional sites have experiences delays. Tommorow’s forecast shows overcast conditions with a fifteen percent chance of rain at noon (h/t Weather.com). As always, prepare for potential delays.