The Clemson baseball team bashed Boston College on Friday afternoon, blistering the Eagles with an offensive onslaught on the way to an 11-6 victory.
The #4 ranked Tigers have been collectively swinging hot bats of late and that trend continued. Jimmy Obertop and, Blake Write and Tristan Bissetta all had big days for Clemson, and with the victory, the Tigers clinched the ACC Atlantic Division regular season championship.
It is the first time since 2018 that Clemson baseball has won its in-conference division and guarantees the Tigers will be no worse than a two-seed in the ACC Tournament next week.
Tristan Smith started on the mound for Clemson, pitching four innings and allowing two runs on four hits while striking out two Boston College batters. Billy Barlow pitched three innings of one (unearned) run relief and picked up the win to run his record on the season to 6-1.
The Eagles fared much worse trying to retire their counterparts at the plate. Wright had a monster day, going 4-5; his third four-hit game of the season. Obertop drove in four runs while Wright and Bissetta each plated two.
Boston College did stake themselves to an early lead that would not last long. John Collins belted a two-run home run to give the Eagles an early wing up. Clemson answered right back in following a Bissetta infield single and throwing error. Tristan would score on a subsequent fielder’s choice to cut the BC lead to 2-1.
The Tigers exploded in the bottom of the third inning, scoring three times to take a 4-2 lead. Wright blasted his first home run in a fortnight to tie the game, followed by a Cam Cannarella double which was cashed in on an Obertop base hit to give Clemson its first lead. Bissetta singled in Obertop moments later.
Wright’s home run was his team-leading 20th of the season.
Boston College loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, but Smith escaped the jam unscathed to end the Eagles’ last best chance.
Clemson broke it wide open in the home fourth. With two runs already in and with two runners on, Obertop crushed a long homer to increase the margin to 9-2.
The Eagles trimmed the sizable lead to 9-3, but a Bissetta RBI double and Jack Crighton sacrifice fly made it 11-3 and all but put the game out of reach.
Reliever Chance Fitzgerald struggled in the eighth inning, surrendering three runs, but Drew Tittsworth came on, putting out the fire and slamming the door on Boston College. With the win, Clemson improved to 39-13 overall and 19-10 in ACC play. Boston College drops to 22-30 and 8-21 in conference.
