- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,136,048
- Reaction score
- 59
Clemson baseball finally found a way to start a conference series on the right foot, using a mix of steady pitching and timely offense to take down Stanford 9-3 on Friday night.
The tone of the game was set early by Aidan Knaak, who delivered one of his more controlled outings of the season. He worked five innings, gave up just a couple of earned runs, and consistently missed bats with seven strikeouts. Just as important, he limited free passes, issuing only one walk. After a stretch where Clemson’s offense gave him little support, this time the lineup backed him up.
Once Knaak exited, Hayden Simmerson took over and essentially shut the door. The right-hander handled the final four innings with ease, allowing just one baserunner while recording his second save. His outing erased any chance of Stanford building momentum late.
At the plate, Clemson spread the production around, but Tryston McCladdie stood out in key moments. He drove in three runs, including a big swing in the middle innings that helped create separation. Ty Dalley chipped in with a pair of hits and two RBIs, while Jason Fultz reached base multiple times and added extra-base pop. In the leadoff spot, Bryce Clavon created pressure all night, getting on base repeatedly and using his speed to disrupt the defense.
Clemson grabbed the lead in the second inning and kept adding from there. Even after a defensive miscue allowed Stanford to briefly pull even, the Tigers answered right back and never trailed again. A three-run burst in the sixth inning pushed the game out of reach, and a late rally in the eighth added insurance.
There were still signs of inconsistency, especially with runners on base earlier in the week, but Friday showed improvement. Clemson capitalized on more opportunities and benefited from Stanford’s control issues, taking advantage of walks and hit batters to keep innings alive.
With the win, the Tigers moved to 20-11 overall and picked up their first opening-game victory in conference play this season. They’ll look to keep that momentum going on Saturday as the series continues.
Contact/follow us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook, for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson baseball gets back in win column after taking down Stanford
Continue reading...
The tone of the game was set early by Aidan Knaak, who delivered one of his more controlled outings of the season. He worked five innings, gave up just a couple of earned runs, and consistently missed bats with seven strikeouts. Just as important, he limited free passes, issuing only one walk. After a stretch where Clemson’s offense gave him little support, this time the lineup backed him up.
Once Knaak exited, Hayden Simmerson took over and essentially shut the door. The right-hander handled the final four innings with ease, allowing just one baserunner while recording his second save. His outing erased any chance of Stanford building momentum late.
At the plate, Clemson spread the production around, but Tryston McCladdie stood out in key moments. He drove in three runs, including a big swing in the middle innings that helped create separation. Ty Dalley chipped in with a pair of hits and two RBIs, while Jason Fultz reached base multiple times and added extra-base pop. In the leadoff spot, Bryce Clavon created pressure all night, getting on base repeatedly and using his speed to disrupt the defense.
Clemson grabbed the lead in the second inning and kept adding from there. Even after a defensive miscue allowed Stanford to briefly pull even, the Tigers answered right back and never trailed again. A three-run burst in the sixth inning pushed the game out of reach, and a late rally in the eighth added insurance.
There were still signs of inconsistency, especially with runners on base earlier in the week, but Friday showed improvement. Clemson capitalized on more opportunities and benefited from Stanford’s control issues, taking advantage of walks and hit batters to keep innings alive.
With the win, the Tigers moved to 20-11 overall and picked up their first opening-game victory in conference play this season. They’ll look to keep that momentum going on Saturday as the series continues.
Contact/follow us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook, for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson baseball gets back in win column after taking down Stanford
Continue reading...
