April 25, 2009
CLEMSON, S.C. – Casey Harman limited Georgia Tech (28-10-1, 14-6-1 ACC) to just two runs over 6-2/3 innings, and Jeff Schaus provided the offensive spark with four hits and four RBI as No. 20 Clemson (29-15, 13-10 ACC) held off the fourth-ranked Yellow Jackets, 8-5, to even the weekend series at one game apiece.
The Jackets plated three runs over the final two innings, including two in the ninth on a home run by Matt Skole, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the six-run lead the Tigers mounted through the first seven innings.
Tech and Clemson play the rubber game of the series Sunday, with first pitch slated for 1 p.m. at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Fans can tune in to AM 790 the Zone for a live broadcast of Sunday’s game, while live stats will be available at Ramblinwreck.com.
Harman (5-3) worked into the seventh inning, scattering seven hits while striking out four to earn his fifth win of the season.
Jeff Rowland reached base three times against the Tigers, going 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored, and Chris House posted the Jackets’ only extra-base hit through the first eight innings – a seventh-inning double that chased Harman from the game.
Luke Murton joined Rowland with two hits on the night, including a ninth-inning double that moved him into a tie for fourth place in Tech’s career record books.
Schaus went 4-for-5 with four RBI against the Jackets, while Mike Freeman, Brad Miller and John Nester added two hits apiece.
A run-scoring double by Freeman helped the Tigers take a first-inning lead for the second-straight game, and Ben Paulsen later plated the Clemson second baseman with a sacrifice fly to put the Tigers ahead, 2-0.
Back-to-back run-scoring singles by Derek Dietrich and Jason Haniger helped the Jackets tie the game in the top of the third inning, but the Tigers answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame on a three-run home run from Schaus, making the score 5-2 in Clemson’s favor.
Zach Von Tersch lasted just 3-2/3 innings before being lifted with two on in the fourth inning. One of the two base runners scored on an RBI single by Schaus, but the inning ended when Freeman tried to score from third on a wild pitch by reliever Andrew Robinson.
Von Tersch (6-2) yielded six runs, five of which were earned, on four hits while issuing four walks to the Tiger offense. Six of the nine members of Clemson’s starting lineup reached base safely at least once against the Tech right-hander, who fell to 0-3 against the Tigers in his career.
Miller’s run-scoring single pushed Clemson’s lead to 7-2 in the bottom of the fifth, and the Tigers added another run in the seventh on a base hit by Nester.
Rowland reached base on a one-out walk in the eighth, stole second, and scored on back-to-back wild pitches to make the score 8-3.
Jed Bradley tossed the final three innings for the Jackets, holding the Clemson offense to one run on four hits while striking out four.
Tomas Cruz worked the final 2-1/3 innings for the Tigers, giving up three runs on three hits.
The Jackets didn’t crack the scoreboard again until the eighth inning, when Rowland reached on a one-out walk, stole second base, and scored on back-to-back wild pitches by Clemson reliever Tomas Cruz.
–Ramblinwreck.com–