GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Presbyterian College Blue Hose
baseball team rallied after surrendering a two-run lead against the No. 16
Clemson Tigers on Wednesday night, scoring a go-ahead run in the eighth inning
to hand the Tigers a loss at Fluor Field, 4-3.
The team's seventh straight win improves PC's record to 11-6
overall while the Tigers fall to 7-7 on the year. Prior to Wednesday's victory,
the Blue Hose had not defeated Clemson since 1949.
"The guys played extraordinarily hard and did a great job overall. It was just a team effort and we're excited about this team and hopefully we can keep up this momentum," said Head Coach Elton Pollock. "I'm proud of the overall effort of our players and coaches and definitely the support of our fans."
Chandler Knox (Columbia, S.C.) earned the decision for PC
but Steven Richardson (Howe, Texas) set the table with his impressive pitching as
the starter, scattering six hits and three earned runs over six and one-third
innings of work while striking out five.
Knox allowed only one hit and let no Tiger score in two and
two-thirds innings, striking out three in the process.
Brad Zebedis (Rock Hill, S.C.) and Tony Micklon (Sumter,
S.C.) each turned in two hits and Zebedis, Aaron Preston (Goose Creek, S.C.)
and John Wagner (Olney, Md.) each drove in a run.
Tied 3-3 in the top of the eighth, the Blue Hose would mount
their late rally to decide the contest. Micklon led off the inning with a
single through the left side before Preston moved him to second on a sacrifice
bunt. Clemson pitcher Joseph Moorefield replaced Justin Sarrant, promptly
walking Nate Horton (Spartanburg, S.C.) and then leaving the game in favor of
Alex Frederick.
A Kyle Galloway (Mint Hill, N.C.) strikeout moved the situation
to two on, two out. Kenny Bryant (Goose Creek, S.C.) stepped into the box, replacing
John Wagner. Frederick threw a pitch in the dirt to Bryant, advancing Micklon
to third and Horton to second.
Bryant, battling against the Tiger pitcher, hit a ball back
to Frederick whose throw to first base proved problematic for Richie Shaffer
and Micklon scored on the error. The Blue Hose then led, 4-3, the first lead
for PC since the fifth inning. Andrew Williams (Augusta, Ga.) then popped up to
end the inning, but the damage was done.
From the first batter, the Blue Hose wasted little time
putting a hit on the board and converted shortly thereafter. Staring at two
strikes, leadoff hitter Williams kicked off the proceedings with a deep double
to right center.
After two PC outs, Brad Zebedis sent a frozen rope down the
left field line past a diving John Hinson to bring home Williams and give the
Blue Hose a 1-0 lead the team would take into the second.
A perfect first from lefthander Steven Richardson kept
Clemson scoreless and PC struck again in the second.
One out down, Nate Horton singled on a full count to bring
up Tyler Hill (Goose Creek, S.C.), who followed suit with a single of his own.
Kyle Galloway replaced Hill as a pinch-runner and he would be put to work, as
John Wagner dug out a two-strike single to bring home Horton and extend the
Blue Hose lead to 2-0.
Despite Andrew Williams reaching first on a fielding error, PC
could not convert with the bases loaded and ended the inning with the 2-0
advantage.
The Clemson offense emerged in the second to cut into the
Blue Hose lead. Richie Shaffer led off with a single and reached third on a
John Hinson double immediately after. Shaffer then reached home thanks to a
sacrifice fly from Phil Pohl, but Richardson slammed the door with two
consecutive swinging strikeouts to end the inning still ahead, 2-1.
Clemson pitcher Will Lamb saw his day on the mound end as Justin
Sarratt replaced him at the top of the third but the Tigers' luck against Brad
Zebedis stayed the same, as the freshman catcher duplicated his earlier at bat
from the first inning with a leadoff double down the left field line.
After a Tony Micklon sacrifice bunt to move Zebedis over, Aaron
Preston sent a line drive that shortstop Jason Stolz couldn't handle and
Zebedis scored on the error. Two outs later, the Blue Hose ended the
half-inning holding a 3-1 lead.
The PC defense showed off its skill in the bottom of the
fourth inning, turning a 5-4-3 double play to clear the bases of Richie Shaffer
and Jeff Schaus before Richardson ended the inning with his fourth strikeout of
the game.
Phil Pohl led off the bottom of the fifth wasting little
time in scoring for Clemson, tagging a first-pitch home run to left field to
draw the Tigers to within one, 3-2. Clemson kept up the scoring, eventually tying
the game at 3-3 on a Steve Wilkerson single to bring around Jon McGibbon. Richardson
escaped the inning with no further damage and the fifth ended in a 3-3
deadlock.
Richardson held Clemson scoreless in the sixth and came out
in favor of Chandler Knox after one batter in the seventh. Knox held the fort,
keeping the Tigers off of the scoreboard.
Knox continued his dominance over the Tigers by allowing no
runs in the eighth, entering the ninth charged with the task of holding the
one-run lead.
With the tying run on first base after a Pohl single, the
Blue Hose showed nerves of steel as catcher Nate Horton erased the hit by
picking off pinch-runner Brad Miller. Knox then struck out Chris Epps looking
to seal the win, 4-3.
PC begins Big South play this weekend with a three-game
series on the road against High Point.
