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Clemson takes two, forces showdown

May 31, 2009 By

Clemson pulled out the whipping stick Sunday first routing Tennessee Tech then blowing out Oklahoma State to force a decisive game Monday night against the Cowboys at 7:00 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

The Tigers beat the Golden Eagles 10-0 as freshman Scott Weismann allowed four hits over eight innings and Chris Epps and Ben Paulsen homered. The Tigers kept the offensive onslaught going in the nightcap crushing the Cowboys 15-1. Freshman lefty Chris Dwyer allowed just six hits over 8.2 innings. The Tigers banged out 16 hits with Paulsen and Mike Freeman cracking homers.

The Tigers had 30 hits on the day. Epps had six hits and three RBIs. Wilson Boyd had six hits and five RBIs. And Freeman had five hits and four RBIs.

Clemson coach Jack Leggett will go with senior lefthander Ryan Hinson in Monday night’s winner take all game. Hinson will be making just his second start of the season. He is 2-0 with a 3.25 ERA. Oklahoma State’s coach Frank Anderson said Sunday night he was undecided about his starting pitcher.

The winner of tonight’s game will face the winner of the Arizona State regional in the Super Regional later this week.

 Clemson notes from Sunday:  

  • Clemson won both games today by at least 10 runs. It is the first time Clemson has won two consecutive NCAA tournament games by 10 runs or more, never mind on the same day. 
  • Today marked the fourth time this year Clemson won two games in the same day. The Tigers had doubleheader sweeps in the regular season on March 13 (Wake Forest), March 24 (Elon), and March 28 (Boston College). This is the first time since the 1992 season that Clemson has won two games in the same day four times.
  • Prior to this year Clemson had a combined four dates in the last seven years in which the Tigers won two games in the same day. 
  • Clemson scored in double figures on both games today, just the third time in school history Clemson has done that in two NCAA Tournament games in the same day. It also happened in 1999 at Fayetteville, AR in a 17-3 win over Delaware and a 12-4 win over host Arkansas, and in 1989, in Tallahassee, FL in a 13-5 win over Stetson and an 11-1 win over Auburn. So it has happened three times in history, 1989, 1999 and 2009. 
  • Clemson is now 24-2 in home NCAA Tournament games in the 21st century. The only losses have been to Arkansas in a Super Regional game in 2002 and earlier in this tournament to Oklahoma State. 
  • The win over Oklahoma State was the 100th in Clemson history in NCAA Tournament play. It was also the 1100th career victory for Jack Leggett. He has 723 at Clemson. Leggett is now 55-31 in NCAA tournament play, including 35-6 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. 
  • Clemson enters Monday’s night’s game with the chance to clinch the Clemson regional championships. Clemson is 10-0 under Jack Leggett in NCAA tournament home games in which it can clinch a regional or super regional championship.

Box Score

Audio:  Clemson post game news conference (9:13)

(Jack Leggett, Chris Epps, Mike Freeman, Chris Dwyer)

Audio:  Oklahoma State coach Frank Anderson post game news conference  (3:49)

 

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Recruiting Flash: Lattimore cuts list to eight

May 31, 2009 By
Marcus Lattimore

Marcus Lattimore

Byrnes RB Marcus Lattimore has trimmed his long list of schools to a final eight.  Lattimore attended a gathering for Auburn prospects over the weekend and said he had a great time.  He has several summer visits planned.

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USC falls to East Carolina, 8-6

May 31, 2009 By

There will be another game here in Greenville, NC to determine who moves on to play North Carolina in the Super Regional next weekend.  East Carolina used the power of the long ball and was able to hang on late to get by USC 8-6 Sunday night at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

ECU got to Gamecock starter Nolan Belcher early.  A three-run shot in the first inning by DH Kyle Roller got the scoring started.  A solo home run by Dustin Harrington in the fourth and a grand slam in the 7th by first baseman Brandon Henderson gave the Pirates an 8-0 lead and enough of a working margin to carry them the rest of the way.

The Gamecocks made it interesting in the ninth.  With one out and trailing 8-2, Justin Dalles hit a two run homer to cut the lead to 8-4.  Carolina managed to load the bases and Brady Thomas, inserted to pinch hit,  doubled in two more to cut the score to 8-6. That left runners on second and third with just one out.

But with Whit Merrifield popped out to first and Jeffery Jones flew out to center to end the ball game.

AUDIO: USC vs East Carolina post game (7:12)

(Gamecock coach Ray Tanner, outfielder Whit Merrifield, third baseman Andrew Crisp and pitcher Nolan Belcher at the podium)

The two teams will meet again Monday at 6:00 in a winner take all game.  Early indications are the Gamecocks plan to start right hander Jay Brown against the Pirates.

We’ll be here again on Monday and have complete coverage on SportsTalk and more  post game audio here on the site.

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Former Clemson golfer wins

May 31, 2009 By
Kevin Johnson

Kevin Johnson

Former Clemson All-American Kevin Johnson won the Rex Hospital Open on the Nationwide Tour at TPC Wakefield Plantation in Raleigh, NC on Sunday. Johnson won the tournament in a one-hole playoff with Jeff Gallagher a former player at Ball State in the mid-1980s.

It was a battle of 40-year olds as Johnson is now 42 and Gallagher is 45.It was the fifth career Nationwide Tour event victory for Johnson, who also won the 1997 Puget Sound Open, the 1999South Carolina Classic, the 2000 Permian Basin Open and the 2006 Wichita Open.

Johnson shot a 72 hole total of 266 after carding rounds of 65-69-65-67 on the par 71 course. The 266 total was the same score he had in winning his last event, the 2006 Wichita Open.

Johnson had a one shot lead entering the final round, but Gallagher had a 64 in the final round and finished ahead of Johnson by 40 minutes with a one shot lead. Johnson needed a birdie on the 18th hole to force a playoff and he converted on a four-foot birdie putt to force the playoff.

Johnson and Gallagher both reached the green in regulation on the first playoff hole, the par five 18th. But, Gallagher missed a six-foot putt for birdie and Johnson made his five-footer to claim the championship.

Johnson moved up from 24th to fourth on the Nationwide Tour money list with the $94,500 paycheck. He has now won $146,879 this year and has won $961,382 for his career on that tour. He is now 14th on the all-time Nationwide Tour money list.

Johnson’s goal is to finish the year in the top 25 as the top 25 on the Nationwide Tour earn a PGA tour card for 2010. Johnson has played on the PGA Tour just one year (2001) since he turned professional in 1990. Johnson has now made eight of 10 cuts this year.

Johnson was a three-time All-American at Clemson between 1985-89. He won the ACC Championship in 1988 and was also a member of the United States Walker Cup team in 1989after winning the 1987 United States Public Links Championship.

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Clemson staves off elimination

May 31, 2009 By
Chris Epps

Chris Epps

Clemson defeated Tennessee Tech 10-0 Sunday afternoon at Doug Kingsmore Stadium to stay alive in their NCAA baseball regional.  The Tigers will play Oklahoma State tonight at 7:00.  A Clemson win would force a deciding game Monday night.  Freshman lefthander Chris Dwyer is expected to start for the Tigers 

Designated hitter Chris Epps and first baseman Ben Paulsen  led a 14 hit Clemson attack.  Epps had three hits, including a home run, and he drove in two.  Paulsen had two hits, including his 12th homer of the season, and he drove in three. 

Scott Weismann pitched eight innings to pick up his third win against one loss.  David Haselden pitched a perfect ninth for the Tigers. 

Clemson is 42-20 while Tennessee Tech finishes the season at 31-24-1.

Box score

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