Conway, S.C. – Similar to the two teams' first meeting back on March 13, the Clemson Tigers used a big inning early to pull out in front and defeat Coastal Carolina 14-3 on Tuesday night at a packed-out Springs Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C.
The crowd of 3,519 fans saw fireworks early, as the two teams combined to score 13 runs over the first four innings of the contest.
The loss drops Coastal to 28-22-1 overall on the season, while the series sweep moves the Tigers to 31-22 on the year.
Coastal's offense was led by senior outfielders
Kieton Rivers (3-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 RBIs, run) and
Cameron Pearcey (2-for-3, 2B, run) who combined to record five of the Chants' eight hits on the night, while fellow senior
Zach Biermann (1-for-4, 2B, RBI) added an RBI double.
However, the Clemson offense, which was efficient in scoring 14 runs on 11 hits, 11 walks and one Coastal error, had four players with multiple RBIs led by Grayson Byrd's (3-for-6, GS, 6 RBIs, 2 runs) six RBIs and home runs from both Logan Davidson (1-for-4, HR, 2 BB, 2 RBIs, 3 runs) and Kyle Wilkie (2-for-5, HR, 2 RBIs, run).
The Coastal pitching staff struck out 10 Clemson hitters, marking the 22nd time this season that it has struck out double-digit batters in a game, but also walked 11 batters for the game.
The loss fell to freshman starter
Garrett McDaniels (0-3) who allowed seven runs on three hits and four walks over 1.0-plus innings in his first action since March 30.
The bullpen was highlighted by the return of
Bobby Holmes, seeing his first action since March 15, and redshirt junior
Scott Kobos throwing back-to-back 1-2-3 innings in the fifth and sixth frames.
Clemson reliever
Owen Griffith (2-2) earned the win, as he threw 3.0-scoreless innings, walking one and striking out four.
The Tigers ran out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a solo home run from Davidson and then blew the game open with a seven-run second inning highlighted by three RBI singles and aided by four walks and a wild pitch.
Down 8-0 in the bottom of the second, Rivers got the home team on the scoreboard with a solo home run to left center field to put the Chants down 8-1. The home run was the senior's ninth of the season.
After Clemson added a run in the third on an RBI single from Byrd and another in the fourth on a Wilkie home run, the Chants scored two in the bottom of the fourth by way of a Biermann RBI double followed by a Rivers RBI single to put the score at 10-3 in favor of the visiting Tigers.
Neither team would get a hit over the next two innings before two walks and a hit batter setup Byrd for a grand slam to right field in the top of the seventh to put Clemson up 14-3 heading into the seventh-inning stretch.
Coastal picked up a single in the eighth and a double in the ninth, yet couldn't string together a series of hits as the Tigers held on for the 14-3 non-conference road win.
Coastal will wrap up the regular season with a key three-game Sun Belt series against Appalachian State on May 16-18.
For complete coverage of CCU baseball, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalBaseball (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUsports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.
