The Clemson Tigers won game 2 of the Clemson regional in dramatic fashion, walking off the feisty Panthers from High Point.
A back-and-forth effort between the two clubs, in large part to the starting pitching. Gus Hughes for High Point was as advertised, going 7 full innings scattering 8 hits with 7 strikeouts and 2 walks over 118 pitches.
Clemson’s Tristan Smith had arguably his best outing of the year going 5.1 innings allowing 6 hits and 9 strikeouts. Coach Bakich added about Smith’s performance, “he was attacking the strike zone and really did a good job at keeping a good offense down.”
Clemson opened the scoring in the bottom of the 3rd where Cam Cannarella singled through the right side to score Jacob Hinderleider.
High Point answered immediately in the top of the 4th with 2 unearned runs. The Tigers had a tough call go against them on a play at first, and after an unsuccessful challenge, the usually sure-handed Alden Mathes struggled to gather a ball over his head to score the Panther’s first run. Another run followed after a single and High Point led 2-1 after 4 ½ innings.
Jarren Purify tied the game on a bunt, probably not his best of the season, but the pitcher tried to glove it to the catcher and the ball sailed over his head for a tie score for the second time.
Similarly in the 6th, High Point added a run to go up 3-2, but the Tigers and Jarren Purify battled at the dish and laced a RBI single up the middle to score Jack Crighton to knot it for the last time at 3.
After great outings from the Tigers bullpen; Reed Garris, Lucas Mahlstedt, and Austin Gordon, the Tigers came up in the bottom of the 9th with a chance to win it.
And win it they did.
Blake Wright led off the inning with a hustle double. After High Point intentionally walked Cannarella, Jimmy Obertop struck out swinging bringing up Tristan Bissetta.
Bissetta laced a liner to center to score Wright to give the Tigers their 25th come-from-behind victory of the season.
Coach Bakich was asked if he had ever been a part of something like that, after a pause said, “I’d have to look that up, but I don’t think so. This is a pretty unique and special group. Their superpower for sure is their belief that they’re going to come back and find a way. And they’ve done it 25 times.”
Bissetta, in the post-game press conference, came in sporting an off-colored orange jersey after being doused with every ounce of liquid in the Clemson dugout.
He was asked how wet his jersey was, “I’m completely soaked…totally worth it to do it for the guys.”
Clemson will play tomorrow at 5 pm against Coastal Carolina in the winner’s bracket.
