The Clemson baseball team stayed hot and completed the sweep of the Louisville Cardinals by a score of 7-3. This is the second ACC sweep for the Tigers and their fifth consecutive series win.
Caden Grice gave the Tigers an amazing outing on the mound going 6.1 innings giving up seven hits, two runs only one was earned, and tallying a career high eleven strikeouts.
Louisville started the scoring off for the day in the top of the first inning when Eddie King Jr. had a two out RBI double to take a 1-0 lead. Clemson would have an answer back in the bottom of the first when Cooper Ingle would have a double in the gap followed by a two run home run to the opposite field by Will Taylor.
Louisville would tie the game up in the second inning with an RBI single from Logan Beard but Grice would strike out the next two batters to end the threat. Jack Crighton got the start in right field again today and continued to be hot at the plate. Crighton opened up the home half of the third inning with a leadoff double, and would be moved over to third base with a ground ball from Cam Cannarella. Cooper Ingle would lace a ball to the center fielder that he wasn’t able to handle. Ingle would reach on an error but was credited with the sacrifice fly scoring Crighton to give the Tigers back the lead.
Clemson would add to their lead in the bottom of the fifth when Crighton got things started with a bloop single to shallow left field, and shortly after would get his second steal of the season taking second base.Cannarella would move him over to third and Ingle would bring him in with an RBI double. Will Taylor would add another hit but Clemson wasn’t able to plate any more runs in the inning.
First baseman Billy Amick had a solo home run to start off the bottom of the 6th inning bringing the score to 5-2. Clemson would then add another run later in the inning when Riley Bertram would come across after a passed ball. Caden Grice got his 11th and final strikeout of the game in the top of the seventh inning, and that would be the end of the day for him receiving a big standing ovation from the Clemson faithful. Reed Garris would come in to pitch and surrendered a run later in the inning off of a sacrifice fly. The Clemson offense would get the run back in the home half after Will Taylor earned a walk, and then made his way around the bases on three wild pitches making the score 7-3.
Casey Tallent would come in to pitch the eighth inning and pick up two strikeouts. Tallent would stay in to pitch the ninth inning and get two outs, but allowed two runners to reach base. Clemson would call on senior closer Ryan Ammons to finish up the game. Ammons threw one pitch and got a fly out to left field to secure the win and the sweep for the Tigers.
Clemson has now gone 12-2 in ACC play after starting the season out 2-8 in conference. There are 8 more games in the season for the Tigers with two midweek games and two more ACC series.
Clemson will likely be ranked in the newest rankings, and are firmly in the conversation of being a possible regional host.
The Tigers will head down to Conway, SC for a midweek game against the #8 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers on Tuesday May 10th at 6:00pm.
