The Clemson Insider looks back at No. 4 Clemson’s 4-1 division-clinching win over Pittsburgh on Friday afternoon at Charles L. Cost Field.
What happened?
The Tigers (42-13, 21-8 ACC) wasted little time getting things going in the first as Kyle Wilkie hit a one-out single before consecutive HBPs loaded the bases for Patrick Cromwell who drew a walk to force a run in for a 1-0 lead. Drew Wharton followed with a two-run single to put Clemson up 3-0. The Panthers (27-24, 11-18 ACC) pushed a run across in the fourth inning to cut the lead to 3-1, but could get no closer as Seth Beer launched a solo homer in the eighth to top off a 4-1 win and secure the Tigers the Atlantic Division title.
Game-Changing Moment:
The game changed almost immediately as Clemson had a 3-0 lead after just six batters and never looked back as they won their 5th ACC road series of the season and 10th consecutive conference road game.
What went right?
Brooks Crawford picked up his eighth win of the season with 5.1 innings of one-run ball. Carson Spiers followed with 2.2 hitless innings while Ryley Gilliam earned his 11th save of the season with a scoreless ninth. Kyle Wilkie extended his hitting streak to 21 games as five different players accounted for each of the Tigers five hits while Wharton had a game-high two RBI.
What went wrong?
A day after scoring 16 runs on 18 hits, the Clemson offense was much quieter with only four runs on five hits. Logan Davidson saw his 15-game hitting streak end.
