How Sweep It Is!! Clemson Opens 2021 With Sweep of Cincy

Game 1: Clemson 5 Cincinnati 0.

Game 1 got off to a slow start offensively before the Tigers’ bats woke up. Clemson picked up it’s first run when Dylan Brewer was able to score Bryce Teodosio with a RBI single up the middle. Clemson’s offense opened up in the seventh when freshman catcher Jonathan French got his first career hit in a big way, knocking in a 3 run homer to make it 4-0. Caden Grice then scored Pierce Gallo on a RBI double to put it to 5-0.

Clemson pitching was outstanding on the day as Davis Sharpe and Mat Clark combined to hold the Bearcats to a shutout and just two hits. Sharpe allowed the only walk of the day.

Game 2: Clemson 5 Cincinnati 2.

Elijah Henderson grounded out in the first to bring home Blake Wright for the Tigers’ first score of the day. Behind Hawkins, Gallo, and Teodosio, the Tigers tacked on three in the fifth, and Jonathan French’s RBI single in the eighth put the finishing touches on a second five run game against Cincinnati.

Some of the new Tiger arms got to show off, as freshman Ty Olenchuck tossed a scoreless 4.2 innings in his first start. The Tigers got some nice late inning work from grad transfer Rasesh Padnya to help quash a mini rally from Cincinnati.

Cincy out hit the Tigers 7-6, but could only muster two runs on the day.

Game 3: Clemson 8 Cincinnati 7 (10 innings).

The Sunday finale was an excellent cap on this series. A pair of homers put the Tigers up 4-0 after the first. Cincy got a pair back in the 2nd, and it was then a bit of a back and forty scoring affair before the Bearcats knotted it up at seven in the eighth, aided by a Paul Komistek legging out a fielder’s choice to avoid an inning ending double play, which would’ve allowed Clemson to keep a one run lead. With the Tigers unable to score in eighth or ninth, the game went to extra innings. Brewer and Hawkins got things started with a pair of singles, and then were able to advance to third and second, respectively, off of a wild pitch. With James Parker at the plate, Cincy elected to pull an outfielder to give them an extra infielder. It was for naught, as Parker crushed a deep single to the outfield hill to score Brewer and get Clemson the 8-7 win.

Brewer, Parker, and French all went deep for the Tigers on the day. Clemson used five pitchers on the day, giving up 10 hits and seven runs. Nick Hoffman closed out the game and got the win on the day. Clemson will be back in action at home Friday to begin the rivalry series with South Carolina, before playing game two in Greenville, and the series finale in Columbia.