Clemson head coach Monte Lee was direct and to the point when The Clemson Insider asked him following Clemson’s 14-8 loss to Duke if energy played a role in the Tigers’ lackluster start on Friday.

The Blue Devils (27-20, 15-17 ACC) scored 13 of their 14 runs in the first four innings, including nine with two outs.

“It has nothing to do with energy,” Lee said. “Energy does not have anything to do with executing pitches on two-strike counts. If you look at the first inning when we gave up the big inning and you look at the second inning when we gave up the big inning, look at how many extra base hits and hits we were giving up with two-strike counts.

“A lot of it had to do with the fact that we did not execute pitches with two-strike counts. It did not have anything to do with energy. The dugout had plenty of energy today. It is difficult to have energy when you are down as many runs as we were early.”

Clemson (24-25, 16-19 ACC) eventually got a lift thanks to a two-run home run from Dylan Brewer and a grand slam from Bryar Hawkins, but the early 13-1 deficit was just too much to overcome in the end end.

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