Baseball
By Jason Priester May 23, 2024 6:27 pmFollow@JP_Priester
Clemson had its fair share of opportunities against Miami in opening round of pool play
By Jason Priester | May 23, 2024 6:27 pm ETFollow @JP_Priester
CHARLOTTE, N.C.- So many times the Tigers have overcome late-inning deficits to come back and win this season.
On Thursday, in the opening round of pool play against Miami, it felt like Clemson was on the verge of doing it again.
Trailing 7-4 heading into the eighth inning, the Tigers got a leadoff triple from Cam Cannarella. Jimmy Obertop and Tristan Bissetta then hit back-to-back doubles to trim the Hurricanes’ lead to just a single run.
Jack Crighton was then hit by a pitch, putting runners at first and second with still nobody out and it felt like the momentum was shifting. After a hit by pitch, a failed sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch, the Tigers had the tying run just 90 feet away and the go-ahead run at second. The stage was set.
However, Jarren Purify would pop out and Alden Mathes would go down swinging, stranding both runners and leaving Clemson still down a run.
“We had plenty of opportunities to capitalize and score some additional runs, and just didn’t get the job done,” Erik Bakich said following the loss. “Tight game, but just one of those ones where a lack of execution, making some mistake pitches with two strikes, hanging some pitches and they did a good job hitting it or us not capitalizing on scoring a runner from third or getting runners over.”
The Canes would add a run in the bottom of the eighth to push the lead back to two, but the Tigers still kept coming. Jacob Hinderleider’s 13th home run of the season to lead off the inning pulled the Tigers right back to within a run. After a Blake Wright walk, Cannarella and Obertop were retired bringing Tristan Bissetta to the plate. The left-handed slugger hit what would have been a go-ahead home run but Miami leftfielder Edgardo Villegas went up over the wall to make a highlight reel catch to end the game, leaving Clemson wondering what could have been.
While getting 11 hits from the offense, the Tigers were just 5-of-25 with runners on and just 3-of-14 with runners in scoring position. Despite all that, Bakich was pleased with the approach his hitters took against Hurricanes’ starter Gage Ziehl, especially after the right-hander dominated Clemson hitters earlier in the season with a complete game performance back in March.
“We had eight leadoff hitters on, out of nine innings, which is the most we’ve had all year,” Bakich said. “I thought we did a god job of holding the zone on some of the sliders and felt like we had him on the ropes there in the fourth, fifth and sixth. But he found a way to put zero’s up in those innings and was able to kind of settle it down. I liked our approach against him. He is obviously one of the best guys in the conference and he is really good. But I thought we did a really good job, at least making an adjustment from the last time we faced him where he really carved us up.”
The loss ends any hopes the Tigers had of winning back-to-back ACC Championships and makes tomorrow’s matchup against Louisville meaningless when it comes to who will advance to the semifinal round. However, that doesn’t mean Clemson has nothing to play for. The Tigers are still trying to lock up a national seed, as well as looking to head into the week off with a win under their belts.
“It stings that we can’t go through a loser’s bracket and still do it,” Bakich said. “But it’s a good opportunity to just get focused on playing well. We know we have a lot of baseball left, but we’re going to need to play a better brand of baseball, which we will. Our guys will respond, and we’ll get a chance to do it tomorrow.”
Photo courtesy of the ACC
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Clemson baseball, Clemson Tigers, Erik Bakich, Baseball
