CLEMSON, S.C. – Nathan Broome’s single in the bottom of the fifth inning led the Clemson Tigers to a 7-3 college baseball victory over the University of Maine at Tiger Field on Friday afternoon.

The teams will play a pair of nine-inning games today at noon.

Broome knocked in Jason Embler from third to break a 3-3 tie. Embler had reached base on a single, moved to second when left fielder Rex Turner mishandled the ball, and advanced to third on a wild pitch by starter Dave Foran.

Kurt Bultmann followed with a single, and Doug Livingston put down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners up a base.

Broome scored on another Foran wild pitch, and Bultmann came home on Gary Burnham’s groundout to first.

Clemson added another in the eighth while shutting out the Black Bears from the third inning on.

Maine, playing its first game of the season, opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the first. T.J. Sheedy reached on an error, Shiro Ando was hit by a pitch, and Jeff Longo singled to load the bases. Tony Bianchi delivered Sheedy and Ando with a single to right field.

The Tigers, who evened their record at 2-2, tied the game in the bottom of the first inning starting with a leadoff home run by Livingston. Burnham doubled and scored on a wild pitch to knot the score.

The Bears retook the lead with a run in the third when Ron Coombs singled in Jeff Longo from third.

Longo had singled to left, then moved to second as John Ellis reached base on an error. Bianchi sacrificed the runners to second and third, and Coombs knocked in Longo when he grounded a single past a diving Kurt Bultmann, the Tigers’ shortstop.

The Tigers answered quickly in the bottom of the third.

Foran hit Livingston, Burnham walked, and Livingston moved to third on a foul flyout to right field. Livingston scored when Burnham got caught in a rundown between first and second.

The Tigers outhit the Bears only 8-7 in Maine’s first effort outside its field house, but four of Clemson’s hits were for extra bases.

Pitcher Kris Benson earned his and the Tigers’ second victory by pitching seven strong innings with eight strikeouts, and Brian Matz picked up his first save with two innings of relief work. Neither pitcher allowed a walk.

Foran struck out five and walked only one for the Bears in his six innings. Garrett Quinn pitched the last two innings.

Tigers 7, Black Bears 3

Maine (0-1) Clemson (2-2)

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Sheedy, cf 4 1 1 0 Livingston, 2b 2 2 1 1

Ando, 2b 3 1 0 0 Burnham, lf 3 2 2 1

Longo, rf 4 1 2 0 LeCroy, c 4 0 0 0

Ellis, 1b 4 0 1 0 Duffie, dh 3 0 0 0

Bianchi, dh 2 0 1 2 Padgett, dh 1 0 1 1

S.Coombs, dh 1 0 0 0 Galloway, 3b 4 0 0 0

Turner, lf 4 0 0 0 Robinson, rf 3 0 0 0

R.Coombs, c 3 0 2 1 Embler, 1b 3 1 1 0

Jarvais, c 1 0 0 0 Broome, cf 3 1 2 1

Halsted, 3b 2 0 0 0 Bultmann, ss 3 1 1 0

Fernandez, 3b 1 0 0 0

Huff, ph 1 0 0 0

Croteau, ss 4 0 0 0

Totals 34 3 7 3 Totals 29 7 8 4

a-Huff struck out for Fernandez

Maine 201 000 000 – 3

Clemson 201 030 01x – 7

E – Turner; Embler, Galloway, Benson, Bultmann 2B – Burnham 2 (2) 3B – Padgett (1) HR – Livingston (1) LOB – Maine 6, Clemson 1 DP – Maine 1, Clemson 1 SB – S – Bianchi; Livingston SF –

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Maine

Foran (L,0-1) 6 5 6 6 1 5

Quinn 2 3 1 1 0 0

Clemson

Benson (W,2-0) 7 7 3 1 0 8

Matz (S,1) 2 0 0 0 0 2

HBP – Ando (by Benson); Livingston (by Foran) WP – Foran 2 TIME – 2:08 ATTENDANCE – 1,463