Clemson used a balanced offensive attack to build an early lead before turning back Georgia Southern’s late rally in a 10-8 win at SRP Park in North Augusta, Tuesday.
The ninth inning got dicey as the Eagles plated four runs to trim Clemson’s six-run advantage to two. Lucas Mahlstedt stepped in with the bases loaded and the lead at five. Georgia Southern got three more runs on a single and a sacrifice fly before Mahlstedt struck out JD Kaiser to nail down his ninth save.
Eight different Tigers scored and six players drove in a run, including three RBI from Josh Paino. Clemson scored both of its first-inning runs on bases-loaded walks, first from Jack Crighton and then from Tryston McCladdie. The duo were in the middle of the action again in the third when McCladdie plated Crighton with an RBI single to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead.
Georgia Southern tightened things up in the middle innings and trailed just 6-4 heading into the eighth. The Eagles’ bullpen couldn’t keep the fourth-ranked Tigers bottled up any longer, however, and Paino extended the lead with a bases-loaded triple that proved to be the difference.
Talan Bell got the start and lowered his ERA to 2.25 with three scoreless innings. Reed Garris (1.10 ERA) was the most effective of Clemson’s six relievers, fanning three of the five batters he faced.
Clemson (27-5, 6-3) will get back into conference action with a trip to Cal this weekend. First pitch between the Tigers and the Bears from Berkeley, Calif., is scheduled for Friday at 9 p.m. EST.
Box Score
Clemson postgame comments from Erik Bakich
and Josh Paino
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