Not a good weekend for Jack Leggett

Story from Clemson SID:

Wake Forest scored six two-out runs in the fifth inning and blanked Clemson 7-0 in front of 1,461 fans at Wake Forest Baseball Park on Saturday afternoon. The Demon Deacons, who swept the series 3-0, improved to 32-22 overall and 13-17 in the ACC. The Tigers, who lost by more than five runs for the first time in 2012, fell to 32-24 overall and 16-14 in ACC play.

The Demon Deacons broke the game open with six runs in the fifth inning and never looked back. The Tigers were shut out for the first time since 2011 after going the previous 98 games without being shut out. It also marked Wake Forest’s first shutout against Clemson since April 8, 1969, when the Demon Deacons blanked Clemson 11-0 in the second game of a doubleheader in Winston-Salem. Clemson had scored at least one run against Wake Forest in 130 consecutive games. It was the Demon Deacons’ first three-game sweep over the Tigers since 1999 as well.

Brian Holmes (7-2) earned the win by pitching 6.0 strong innings in a starting role. He gave up just two hits, no runs, and three walks with six strikeouts. Six Wake Forest relievers combined to toss 3.0 scoreless innings to close out the game. The seven Demon Deacon hurlers combined to allow only four hits. Clemson’s leadoff batters reached base in four of the first six innings, but they still kept the Tigers off the scoreboard.

Tiger starter Kevin Pohle (6-3) suffered the loss, as he yielded five hits, six runs (five earned), and three walks with four strikeouts. The seven Clemson pitchers only allowed two leadoff batters to reach, but in those two innings, Wake Forest scored all seven of its runs.

Wake Forest took the game’s first lead with six two-out runs on four two-out hits in the fifth inning. Pinch-hitter Kevin Jordan fouled off several two-strike pitches to draw a leadoff walk and moved to second on Brett Armour’s sacrifice bunt. Two batters later with two outs, Pat Blair was intentionally walked. After fouling off several two-strike pitches, Conor Keniry blooped a 2-2 pitch to shallow right-center for a single to score Jordan, who became the first player in the game to reach third base. Mac Williamson loaded the bases with a hit-by-pitch, then Carlos Lopez laced a single up the middle to score Blair and Keniry. Charlie Morgan kept the inning alive with a triple down the right-field line to score Williamson and Lopez. Mark Rhine followed with a chopper to second-baseman Steve Wilkerson, who booted the ball, allowing Morgan to score.

In the sixth inning, Evan Stephens led off with a walk and Blair was hit-by-pitch. Two batters later with one out, Williamson grounded a seeing-eye single through the right side to score Stephens.

Morgan went 2-for-4 with a double, triple, and two RBIs to lead Wake Forest, who had eight hits in the game. Williamson added two hits and an RBI as well.

Brad Felder went 1-for-2 with a walk for the Tigers, who totaled only four hits.

Clemson finished in a tie for fifth place with Miami (FL) in the ACC overall standings with a 16-14 league mark. Since the Tigers won the season series against the Hurricanes, Clemson will be the #5 seed in the ACC Tournament at NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro, NC. The Tigers will play at least three games in the ACC Tournament, which starts on Wednesday. Clemson’s tourney schedule will be announced on Sunday.

Story from Clemson SID:

Brett Armour’s two-run homer in the eighth inning broke a scoreless tie and Wake Forest held on for a 2-1 win over Clemson in front of 1,241 fans at Wake Forest Baseball Park on Friday night. The Demon Deacons, who took a 2-0 series lead and clinched a spot in the ACC Tournament, improved to 31-22 overall and 12-17 in the ACC. The Tigers fell to 32-23 overall and 16-13 in ACC play.

The Demon Deacons escaped a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the top of the eighth inning without allowing a run, then Armour blasted a two-run homer just inside the left-field foul pole in the bottom of the eighth inning to score the game’s first runs. Clemson loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth inning, but only scored one run and fell one run short.

Michael Dimock (3-3) earned the win in relief. He allowed one hit, one run, and two walks with one strikeout in 1.1 innings pitched. Starter Jack Fischer tossed 7.2 strong innings, allowing just four hits, no runs, and two walks with three strikeouts. Fischer retired 18 batters in a row during one stretch.

Daniel Gossett (6-3), the first of three Tiger pitchers, suffered the loss in his first career ACC start. In a career-long 7.1 innings pitched, he surrendered six hits, two runs, and two walks with seven strikeouts.

With the score 0-0, Richie Shaffer led off the seventh inning with a chopper in front of the plate. Fischer’s throw to first was offline and pulled first-baseman Carlos Lopez off the bag before the ball arrived according to the first-base umpire. After a discussion with all three umpires, the home-plate umpire overturned the first-base umpire’s call and ruled that Lopez’s foot was on the bag when he caught the ball. Two batters later, Brad Felder ripped a two-out double through the left side, but Joe Costigan struck out to end the inning.

In the top of the eighth inning, Jon McGibbon ripped a one-out single through the right side, then Jason Stolz reached on an infield single. After Steve Wilkerson walked on six pitches to load the bases, Thomas Brittle and Shaffer both struck out on three pitches to end the inning.

Mark Rhine led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a single through the left side. Two batters later, Armour laced a two-run home run just inside the left-field foul pole, his fourth long ball of the season.

Phil Pohl led off the ninth inning with an infield single, Clemson’s first leadoff batter to reach in the game. Felder walked on four pitches, then Tyler Slaton walked to load the bases with no outs. Spencer Kieboom flied out to shallow center for out #1 as all runners stayed at their bases. McGibbon then lofted a flyball to the wall in right field. Mac Williamson made the catch a few feet away from the wall as all three baserunners tagged up. Pohl scored on the sacrifice fly, but Slaton was thrown out at second base in a close play for the game-ending double play.

Evan Stephens went 2-for-3 to lead the Demon Deacons, who totaled six hits and left only four runners on base.

Five different Tigers had one hit apiece, while McGibbon had the lone RBI for Clemson, who stranded seven runners on base. Wilkerson went 0-for-3 with a walk, as his 15-game hitting streak came to an end.

Clemson and Wake Forest will conclude the regular season with game-three of the series on Saturday at 1:00 PM.

Crawford Reeves

From Clemson SID:

Crawford Reeves fired a four-under-par 68 to lead Clemson to a 295 team score and an eighth place standing after 36 holes of the South Central NCAA Regional Golf Tournament at the Olde Stone Golf Club in Bowling Green, KY. Clemson has a 590 score for 36 holes, in eighth-place overall and seven shots off the fifth-place cutline. The top five teams after Saturday’s third round advance to the NCAA National Tournament in Los Angeles May 29-June 3.

UCLA has the team lead at 571, five-under-par. Texas A&M, who played with Clemson on Friday, is in second place with a 573 score. Texas A&M had a 278 team score on Friday, the best in the 14-team field. Chattanooga is in third place at one under par after a seven-under-par team score on Friday.

Memphis stands in fourth place at six-over-par 582. Virginia Tech is the cutline team at 583, seven-over-par. Northwestern and Colorado State are ahead of Clemson at 11-over-par 587. The Tigers are three shots back of Northwestern and Colorado State for eighth place. Iowa State is three shots behind Clemson for ninth place.

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Tommy Bowden

From Clemson SID:

Former Clemson wide receiver Brian Wofford died Friday morning when the motorcycle he was riding was involved in an accident in Moore, SC. Wofford, 34, was struck by an automobile at the intersection of Reidville Road and Plateau Street near Highway 417 at 11:15 AM.

Wofford, who was wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The native of Spartanburg, SC was the leader of the Spartanburg city parks system

Wofford played for Clemson from 1996-99, three years under Coach Tommy West and one year under Coach Tommy Bowden. He graduated from Clemson in May of 2000.

Wofford had 138 receptions for 1857 yards and 13 touchdowns over his career. He played 47 games over his four years, 30 as a starter. He still ranks 10th in school history in receptions, ninth in reception yards and is tied for eighth in school history in touchdown receptions with former teammates Rod Gardner and Tony Horne.

In 1999, his senior year, Wofford had 60 receptions for 793 yards and three scores. In his final game as a Tiger against Mississippi State in the 1999 Chick-fil-A Bowl he had six receptions for 147 yards. That yardage total is still a Clemson record for a bowl game.

A three-year starter, Wofford had 15 receptions as a freshman in 1996, 28 as a sophomore in 1997, and 35 as a junior in 1998. He was named Academic All-ACC in 1997. He had a career high five touchdown receptions in 1998. He also played in three bowl games for the Tigers.

“When you come to a new program you look to players who will set a standard of excellence and will bind your team together,” said former Clemson coach Tommy Bowden, who coached Wofford in his senior year. “Brian was one of those players in my first year.

“He was top notch in every area. He was a terrific student, a hard worker during practice, a leader…he was everything college athletics is all about from a positive standpoint. He represented our football program, our university and his family with great distinction.

“One thing I remember about Brian was how happy he was when he heard what our offense was all about. He knew he would get a lot of opportunities as a receiver in our offense and he made the most of it.”

Brian Wofford

Former Clemson wide receiver Brian Wofford was killed in a motorcycle accident today Wofford is a native of Spartanburg and was working there for the city’s parks system. He was just 34 years old.

According to a report, Wofford was riding his motorcycle in Moore, South Carolina when a car pulled out in front of him leading to the fatal collision. The report indicated Wofford was wearing a helmet, but was pronounced dead at the scene.

Wofford played at Clemson in the late 1990′s. He ranks in the top 15 in Clemson history in total receptions, reception yardage and touchdown receptions. He was a star high school player at Spartanburg, winning a state title there in 1995.