Jacob Jarrell clubbed a pair of home runs to lead Clemson over upset-minded Gardner-Webb 4-2 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, Wednesday.
Gardner-Webb was standing toe-to-toe with the fourth-ranked Tigers through five innings before Jarrell lined a 3-1 fastball into the left-field seats to break a 2-2 tie. Two innings later, the junior catcher provided an insurance run with a another homer, this one deposited just a few feet from where the first one left its mark.
Gardner-Webb limited Clemson to four hits, although the Tigers did draw nine walks. Jarrell’s long balls accounted for the only extra-base hits. Clemson plated its first run on a groundout from Cam Cannarella in the third. Two batters later, DH Collin Priest (2-4), the only other Tiger to register a hit, drove in Jarren Purify with RBI single for a 2-0 lead.
The Runnin’ Bulldogs scratched out a pair of runs in the fifth to knot the game at 2-2, but couldn’t touch Clemson southpaw Drew Titsworth down the stretch. Titsworth (3-0) had his swing-and-miss stuff working, fanning seven of the 12 batters he faced and holding Gardner-Webb hitless over the final 4.1 innings.
Clemson (31-5), winners of six straight, will next play host to Stanford for a three-game series. Friday’s first pitch between the Tigers and the Cardinal is scheduled for 6 p.m.