Clemson holds off UNCG for regional-opening win

Two areas that plagued Clemson during a difficult final stretch of the regular season were hitting with runners in scoring position and positive production out of the bullpen.

In the No. 19 Tigers’ first game of the Clemson Regional against UNCG, they finally got a clutch hit from Weston Jackson to spur a four-run fifth inning and a solid outing from starting pitcher Alex Eubanks, but the bullpen still kept the game interesting and forced Clemson to turn to a familiar face in the ninth inning.

That allowed the Tigers to hold on and edge the Spartans 5-4 on Friday at a packed Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

Top-seeded Clemson (40-19) advances to the winner’s bracket to face second-seeded Vanderbilt (34-22), which trounced St. John’s 13-4 in earlier in the day, on Saturday at 7 p.m.

“The game really boiled down to pitching and defense for us. I thought we pitched really well,” Clemson coach Monte Lee said. “Alex Eubanks was really, really good. We really did a good job limiting the free pass. Pat Krall got a chance to come in there at the end of the game and did an outstanding job.”

After UNCG (35-23) intentionally walked Clemson star hitter Seth Beer to load the bases for the second time in the game, Jackson ended the team’s 0-for-6 start with runners in scoring position with a two-out, two-run single to right field in the fifth.

“That’s the kind of stuff you dream of as a kid,” said Jackson, who grew up a Clemson fan and transferred from Presbyterian College for one season with the Tigers.

Andrew Cox followed with a slow roller to the second baseman, who misplayed the ball to allow Beer to score on Cox’s RBI single and Jackson on the error to put Clemson up 4-1 after five innings.

“We came in here with the idea that Seth Beer was not going to hurt us,” UNCG coach Link Jarrett said about the Tiger, who was 0-for-1 with three walks. “If somebody else on that ball club beat us, then so be it.”

Eubanks, who jumped ahead of usual Friday starter Charlie Barnes, gave Clemson exactly what it needed on the mound. He lasted 7 2/3 innings and gave up two runs and seven hits while recording five strikeouts and one walk.

Eubanks (7-5) overcame solo home runs by Caleb Webster and Cesar Trejo.

“You can’t dwell on mistake pitches,” Eubanks said. “There’s nothing you can do except keep battling and give your team a chance to win.”

Michael Goss later hit an RBI single off Clemson reliever Ryley Gilliam to get within a run with four outs to go.

Logan Davidson, who went 3-for-5 at the plate for Clemson, drove in a key run with a single in the bottom of the eighth for some needed insurance as Trejo went deep again to lead off the ninth.

Lee then turned to Krall, usually his third-game starter who closed last season, to record the final three outs and earn his first save of 2017.

Clemson now turns its attention to figuring out Vanderbilt starting pitcher Kyle Wright, who’s expected to be one of the first couple of players taken in this month’s MLB draft.

“We’re facing a different animal (Saturday),” Lee said. “We’re going to face a guy that’s probably going to be pitching in that 94 to 97 (mph) range, may run it up to 97. We may turn the pitching machine in the cage up about as fast as it’ll go to get ready for that fastball.”

This story was originally published June 2, 2017 at 10:05 PM with the headline "Clemson holds off UNCG for regional-opening win."