Tigers batter Bears Seven-run fifth sparks Clemson

loading...

CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson erupted for seven runs in the fifth inning Saturday afternoon, erasing a three-run deficit while paving the way for an 11-7 baseball victory over the University of Maine at Kingsmore Stadium.

The Black Bears closed out their annual southern swing with three losses to the 14th-ranked Tigers and returned to Orono with a 9-6 record.

Clemson (16-3) earned its 13th consecutive win.

The Tigers went scoreless for the first four innings against UMaine junior Mike Collar of Scarborough (1-2), but the hosts finally measured the righthander in the fifth.

Russell Triplett led off with an infield single to third base, Steve Pyzik was hit by a pitch, and both moved up when David Slevin’s sacrifice bunt toward first turned into a fielder’s choice as Triplett beat the throw to third.

Zane Green pushed a run across with an infield single to shortstop. One out later, Michael Johnson roped a three-run double down the left-field line. Brad McCann, Kyle Frank, and Jeff Hourigan then hit consecutive doubles to chase Collar.

Troy Martin came on to get the final two outs, but was touched for four runs in the sixth as Clemson manufactured the winning margin.

Senior second baseman Brett Ouellette paced the Bears with four hits, including a solo home run in the fourth. Mark Reichley doubled and singled for UMaine, which posted 11 hits.

Green singled three teams to lead Clemson. Johnson knocked in three runs with a double and a single, while Frank doubled and singled with two RBIs.

UMaine seized a 2-0 lead in the third inning off Tigers lefthander Tyler Lumsden (5-0), who went into the game with a 0.64 earned run average.

Reichley led off with a double, then Lumsden walked Aaron Young and Mike Livulpi to load the bases. Steve Gambale delivered a sacrifice fly and Joe Drapeau hit into a fielder’s choice to score a run.

The Bears made it 3-0 in the fourth on Ouellette’s one-out homer to right-center.

Down 11-3, UMaine came back with four runs in the eighth. Ouellette drew a one-out walk and Joe Hough singled to left. One out later, Ryan Quintal stroked an RBI single and Jason Houser walked.

The second run scored on an error and opened the door for Aaron Izaryk’s two-run single, but Robert Rohrbaugh came on to retire Greg Creek on a fly ball to left.

UMaine left 11 runners on base in the contest.

Freshmen Brett Rogers of Orr’s Island and Sam Warner of Eliot each pitched 1 1/3 innings of shutout relief for the Bears.

UMaine is scheduled to return to action Friday with a single game at Rhode Island.

TIGERS 11, BLACK BEARS 7

(Saturday Afternoon)

Maine (9-6) Clemson (16-3)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Livulpi, cf 3 0 0 0 Green, rf 4 2 1

b-Houser 0 1 0 0 Valiente, rf 0 0 0

Saunders, cf 0 0 0 0 Hub, lf 4 1 1 1

Gambale, ss 3 0 1 1 Johnson, 1b 5 2 3

Drapeau, c 4 0 0 1 McCann, 3b 3 2 1

Izaryk, c 1 0 1 2 Easterling, 3b 1 0 0

Carlton, 1b 3 0 0 0 Frank, cf 3 1 2

Creek, 1b 2 0 0 0 Evans, cf 1 0 0

Picard, dh 5 0 1 0 Hourigan, dh 4 0 2

Ouellette, 2b 4 2 4 1 Harvey, dh 1 0

Hough, lf-rf 4 1 1 0 Triplett, ss 4 1 0

Reichley, 3b 4 1 2 0 Demmink, ss 0 0 0

Young, rf 1 1 0 0 Pyzik, c 2 1 0

a-Ferriggi 1 0 0 0 Everett, c 0 0 0

Quintal, lf 2 1 1 1 Slevin, 2b 3 1 0

Pritchard, 2b 0 0 0 0

Totals 37 7 11 6 Totals 35 11 12 10

a-popped to first for Young in the 6th, b-walked for Livulpi in the 8th

Maine 002 100 040 ? 7

Clemson 000 074 00x ? 11

E?Ouellette (2); Demmink (2); LOB?Maine 11; Clemson 7; 2B?Reichley; Johnson, McCann, Frank, Hourigan; HR?Ouellette (1); DP?Gambale-Ouellette-Carlton, Drapeau-Ouellette; Slevin-Triplett-Johnson; S?Slevin; SF?Gambale; SB?Drapeau (2); Green (2)

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Collar (L, 1-2) 4 1/3 8 7 7 1 3

Martin 1 3 4 3 1 0

Rogers 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 1

Warner 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 0

Clemson IP H R ER BB SO

Lumsden (W, 5-0) 5 2/3 6 3 3 3 5

Clayton 2 4 4 1 2 2

Rohrbaugh (S,1) 1 1/3 1 0 0 1 1

HBP?Pyzik by Collar 2, Hough by Lumsden; PB?Drapeau 2; T?3:08; ATT?3,160