It was a pitcher by committee night in Clemson’s regular season finale at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Tuesday. Eight pitchers combined to help the 18th-ranked Tigers to a 3-2 victory over Charleston Southern.
Clemson starter Clate Schmidt (6-4) got the win as he pitched two innings. He did give up three hits in the second inning, but he pitched out of a bases loaded jam with one out by striking out the side. Schmidt, who was replaced by Alex Schnell in the top of the third inning, had four strikeouts.
“Our pitching staff did an outstanding job,” Clemson head coach Monte Lee said.
Alex Eubanks earned his third save of the season when he came on with two on and no outs in the top of the eighth inning. Charleston Southern’s Sly Edwards reached on a fielding error by Clemson second baseman Jordan Greene and then stole second. Bryan Dye then drew a walk off Brooks Crawford, but Eubanks got Edwards out on a force at third base.
Eubanks then struck out Kevin Hickey swinging for the second out and Seth Beer made a diving catch in right field on what looked like a sure Cole Murphy single, which would have scored the tying run.
The Tigers (35-18) scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the second inning when Andrew Cox singled to centerfield to score Reed Rolhman, who drew a one-out walk earlier in the inning.
“Offensively, we just could not get anything going,” Lee said. “I thought Charleston Southern ran some really good pitchers out there tonight. Andrew Cox had a big, two-out RBI single early in the ballgame and then Chris Okey stepped up and has been doing what he has been doing all year.”
Clemson got seven strong innings from its bullpen from Schnell, Garrett Lovorn, Patrick Andrews, Alex Bostic and Eubanks.
CSU used six different pitchers and held its own for most of the night. Clemson finished the game with three hits, but drew eight walks. Jon Piriz suffered the loss.
The Tigers third hit came in the bottom of the eighth inning when Okey, in perhaps his last at-bat at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, ripped a double over the head of the centerfielder in right center, allowing K.J. Bryant to come home with the second run of the night.
Okey, who is expected to be drafted in the early rounds in next month’s amateur draft, scored on a fielder’s choice moments later to make the score 3-0.
“I put a pretty good swing on the ball, and lucky it fell down,” Okey said. “Who knows what the future holds. I’m going to keep playing with these guys. I look forward to taking the field at Notre Dame with them and be a Clemson Tiger.”
The Buccaneers (18-32) loaded the bases in the top of the ninth inning and scored two runs with two outs to make things interesting as the tying run was just 90-feet away.
Clemson will conclude the regular season with a three-game series at Notre Dame beginning on Thursday in South Bend, Ind.