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Tigers post bookend big innings in rout of No. 12 Arizona
Collin Priest had three hits, two doubles and two RBIs in the win. (Photo: Jim Cowsert / Imagn Images)

Tigers post bookend big innings in rout of No. 12 Arizona
David Hood David Hood - Senior Writer - Saturday, February 15 2025

Bookend big innings lead to another win over a ranked team.

No. 8 Clemson scored seven runs in the top of the first, added eight in the ninth and cruised to another victory over a ranked team, defeating No. 12 Arizona 16-5 in the Shriners Children's College Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Cam Cannarella posted four hits and scored four times, and Collin Priest and Dominic Listi each notched three hits, and Listi drove in four for the Tigers, who pounded out 17 hits total. Josh Paino drove in three and eight spots in the lineup drove in a run. Clemson improves to 2-0, while Arizona falls to 0-2 after losing to Ole Miss Friday night.

It didn’t take the Tigers long to get started Saturday, putting up seven runs in the top of the first. Head coach Erik Bakich moved Listi into the leadoff spot, and it paid immediate dividends. Listi singled up the middle on the game's fourth pitch, and he moved to third on a one-out single by Cannarella.

Josh Paino singled up the middle to drive in Listi with the game’s first run and Collin Priest followed that with an RBI double down the left field line to score Cannarella for a 2-0 lead. Jacob Jarrell fought off a tough 1-2 pitch to fist a run-scoring single into right-center for a 3-0 lead, and Tristan Bissetta laced a double down the left-field line to score the fourth run.

Jarren Purify beat out an infield single that scored Jarrell, and Listi lined a two-run single to run to close out the first inning damage with a 7-0 lead.

Ethan Darden was terrific in his first start, throwing four scoreless innings. He gave up just two hits, walked one and struck out six in 71 total pitches. Drew Titsworth relieved Darden to start the fifth and gave up a hard-luck run. Arizona’s Easton Breyfogle was jammed on a 1-0 pitch and lofted a fly ball down the left field line. The ball landed just inside the line with three Clemson players in close proximity.

The ball bounced into the stands for a ground-rule double, and Breyfogle later scored on a single to make it 7-1 Tigers. Titsworth was solid in his outing, giving up just the one run in two innings of work with a walk and a strikeout. Titsworth picked up the win (1-0) for his efforts.

The Tigers added another run in the seventh. Cannarella led off the inning with a hustle double (the review showed he was in ahead of the tag), and he scored on Priest’s 111MPH scorcher into the gap in right-center to make it 8-1 Tigers.

The Wildcats didn’t go away, however. Chance Fitzgerald started the 7th for the Tigers and was greeted by three singles that scored a run, followed by a three-run homer from Brendan Summerhill that made it 8-5. Fitzgerald was relieved by Reed Garris, and Garris shut the door, pitching two scoreless innings, striking out three without allowing a baserunner.

The Tigers struck back in the ninth. Arizona reliever Jack Berg was wild from the start. Cannarella doubled down the left field line to start the frame, and Berg unraveled. Two walks and two hit batters pushed across two runs to make it 10-5, and after a pitching change, Andrew Ciufo hit a sacrifice fly to right that scored another run to make it 11-5.

The Tigers close out the opening weekend against Ole Miss. Righty Mason Nichols of Ole Miss will face Clemson lefty Justin LeGuernic.


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