The Clemson baseball team was swept by Pittsburgh in a doubleheader on Friday afternoon, losing “Game #1” 8-0 before dropping a 10-7 decision in “Game #2”. The sweep drops Clemson’s record to 16-7 overall and 1-4 in ACC play. The Panthers sit 12-10 on the season and 3-5 in the league heading into Saturday’s series finale at 3pm on ACC Network Extra.
Game #1: Pittsburgh scored two times in the first and three in the fifth to cruise past the Tigers 8-0 in the opening game of Friday’s doubleheader. The first inning set the tone on a chilly day in western Pennsylvania as Clemson starter Mack Anglin struggled to find his rhythm. The redshirt sophomore threw two wild pitches and walked one in the opening frame, while the Tigers committed a costly error behind him as the Panthers grabbed an early 2-0 lead.
After adding single runs in the third and fourth, Pittsburgh broke the game open with a crooked number in the fifth inning. The Panthers got three runs on just two hits, while taking advantage of Clemson’s second error of the game. Anglin (3-2) suffered the loss, lasting only 3.2 innings, allowing four runs on six hits, while matching a season-high with five walks. Matt Gilbertson improved to 7-2 on the year, striking out nine Tiger batters, while giving up five hits.
The shutout was the first thrown against the Tigers since Georgia blanked Clemson 2-0 on March 30th of last year.
Game #2: Pittsburgh picked up where it left off in “Game #1” as the Panthers rapped out 17 hits, including three home runs to complete the sweep 10-7. According to Clemson, it’s the first doubleheader sweep of the Orange and White since 2014. The Tigers had played 16 consecutive doubleheaders (against one team) without being swept and had a 27-5 record in those 32 games.
Clemson actually scored first as Cooper Ingle blasted his fourth home run of the season in the first inning to give the visitors their only lead of the day at 1-0. However, the Panthers quickly responded with three runs in the second and three more in the third to move ahead to 6-1.
Trailing 9-1, Clemson made things interesting by scoring five times in the seventh inning, highlighted by a two-out, two-run double from left fielder Chad Fairey. Then the Tigers plated a run in the eighth to cut the deficit to 9-7, but that’s as close as they would get.
Panthers starter Logan Evans (3-1) earned the win, as he allowed three hits, one run and two walks with nine strikeouts in 5.0 innings pitched. Baron Stuart pitched 2.0 innings to record his second save of the year. Tiger starter Nick Hoffmann (3-2) was credited with the loss, giving up six runs on nine hits in only two and two-thirds innings of work.
