Clemson scored two runs off three hits in the first inning Saturday in the winner’s bracket game of the Clemson Regional. However, the Tigers had just one run off three hits over the final eight innings as No. 2 Vanderbilt rallied from an early three-run deficit to beat the top-seed Tigers, 4-3, at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

The loss marked the fifth straight year Clemson lost in its second game of a regional, including three straight in the winner’s bracket at home. The Commodores advance to Sunday’s Championship Round, while Clemson falls to the elimination game where it will play St. John’s Sunday at noon.

“We jumped on them early and they responded in the second inning with a big inning,” Clemson head coach Monte Lee said. “I felt like our bullpen did an outstanding job. I thought those guys did an outstanding job and gave us a chance.

“It was a one-run game. Their bullpen did a great job against us.”

The Tigers (46-15) will need to beat St. John’s in the elimination game and then come back Sunday at 6 p.m. and beat Vanderbilt to extend their season to Monday’s winner take all championship game.

“To be honest it’s not as hard a you think. I think it’s a whole lot harder on the coaches than the players,” Lee said. “The players play and they were obviously very disappointed.. but they’re very resilient. I think our guys are fine.”

Saturday’s loss is even a bigger disappointment after the Tigers learned No. 7 overall seed Florida State was eliminated in the Tallahassee Regional, leaving the door open for Clemson, the No. 10 national seed, to host next week’s Super Regional Round.

But Vanderbilt pitching had other ideas. Head coach Tim Corbin started lefty Zach King, who went four innings before Corbin brought in regular starter Patrick Raby, who pitched 1 2/3 of scoreless baseball.

Jackson Gillis then came in and gave up just one hit in 1 1/3, while  Reid Schaller also pitched and Chandler Day got credit for the save. Raby, Gillis, Schaller and Day combined to give up one hit and no runs over the last five innings.

“Their pitching staff executed some big pitches in crucial times,” Lee said. “For us to be in a position in a one-run game and to have to go to our bullpen in the fourth says a lot about our team.”

Clemson had an opportunity to tie the game in the seventh inning when Logan Davidson singled to start the top of the frame. However, Gillis struck out Seth Beer swinging, got Chris Williams looking and then Kyle Wilkie swinging, to end the threat and keep Davidson at second base.

“We just feel short by one run. It hurts, but we will come back tomorrow and be just as good as we can tomorrow,” Williams said.

Davidson, who led off the game with a double and later scored in the first inning, got a bloop single to centerfield in the top of the second inning, to score Sam Hall from second base, who walked and stole second base.  That gave Clemson a 3-0 lead at the time.

Clemson took the early lead against Vanderbilt thanks to RBI singles from Williams and Drew Wharton in the top of the first inning.

Williams drove in Davidson with a base hit through the left side for a 1-0 lead. Davidson led the game off with a double down the left field line.

Beer, who drew a walk to get on, later made the score 2-0 when Drew Wharton hit safely through the left side with two outs.

Vanderbilt (33-25) tied the game in the bottom of the second inning when they scored three runs on four hits, including an Ethan Paul two-run homer down the left field line. Julian Infante was also credited with an RBI earlier in the inning.

Paul’s home run tied the game at 3 after two innings.

The Commodores took the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when Connor Kaiser singled up the middle with the infield in to score Pat DeMarco from second base. That made the score 4-3 at the time.

The Tigers shut the Commodores down from their as Vanderbilt had just four hits in the last five innings against Travis Marr, Mat Clark and Carson Spiers.

“Vanderbilt was the better team tonight… our guys will be ready to play… some guys are going to have to step up, but we’ll do everything we can to put ourselves in the position to win,” Lee said.