Walks and errors cost Tigers in 6-3 loss to Heels |
CLEMSON – Four errors and eight walks would be hard enough to overcome for even a team playing really well.
For a team scuffling to score runs when it counts, it is impossible, just as the 19th-ranked Clemson Tigers found out Saturday afternoon in a 6-3 loss to 6th-ranked North Carolina at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The Tigers(6-6, 0-2 ACC) took a 3-2 lead into the seventh, but two errors led to the tying run while three walks contributed to a three-run ninth inning for the Heels (12-2, 2-0), who take a 2-0 lead in the three-game series. “We just kind of imploded there at the end,” Clemson head coach Jacket Leggett said. “We didn’t play all that well. We played well enough for the first seven or eight innings to keep ourselves in the game. We have to play better defense. We had a god ballgame going on. I felt like we had the right people in the ballgame, but we didn’t get the job done.” The Heels struck first, getting a run in the top of the second. After two were out, North Carolina strung together a walk and two singles for a 1-0 lead. Clemson answered in the bottom of the third, an inning that started off with a
Jason Stolz Clemson starter
Dominic Leone North Carolina went back ahead with a single run in the fourth, but the Tigers finally took the lead with the benefit of a two-run fifth inning.
Spencer Kieboom However, the Tigers and some shaky defense gave up the lead in the seventh, again after two were out in the inning. An error by second baseman Steve Wilkerson, a walk and an error by third baseman
Richie Shaffer Reliever Andrew Smith started the bottom of the eighth for the Heels, and if his two wild warm-up pitches weren’t enough, he was close on just one of his pitches in a five-pitch walk to Shaffer to open the inning. He was replaced by Shane Taylor, who was also wild during his warm-ups, but
Phil Pohl
Daniel Gossett
David Haselden “We had ourselves in a position to win, but we just didn’t do enough to win the game,” Leggett said. “We didn’t do some good things at the end of the game.” Stolz said the lack of fundamentals shown by this Clemson team early are a disturbing trend. “In games like this in ACC play you have to be your sharpest,” Stolz said. “We had four errors which came back to bite us, and we just kind of imploded at the end. Every one of us in the infield had a lapse at some point, and we just lost focus. It’s hard when you feel good about yourself and you just keep coming up on the short end of the stick. We’re at Clemson, and all of those plays are expected to be made. It’s surprising when we don’t.” The finale of the three-game series is set for a 1 p.m. first pitch at Doug Kingsmore. 
Jason Stolz
Sr. Infielder
#2 6-2, 205
Marietta, GA
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single. He was forced at second on a grounder by
Dominic Attanasio
Dominic Attanasio
So. Outfielder
#1 5-7, 160
Windermere, FL
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, but
Thomas Brittle
Thomas Brittle
RS Jr. Outfielder
#4 5-8, 170
Cross, SC
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laced a double down the left field line that put runners at second and third with one out.
Steve Wilkerson
Steve Wilkerson
So. 2nd Base
#17 6-1, 185
Roswell, GA
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hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored Attanasio, but Brittle was caught in a rundown that ended the inning. 
Dominic Leone
Jr. RH Pitcher
#6 5-11, 195
Norwich, CT
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went four innings, giving up four hits and just one earned while striking out three and walking three. 
Spencer Kieboom
Jr. Catcher
#22 6-0, 220
Marietta, GA
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singled to start the inning, and with one out Stolz singled up the middle. Attanasio then doubled down the right field line that scored Kieboom and Stolz for a 3-2 Tiger lead. 
Richie Shaffer
Jr. 3rd Base
#8 6-3, 205
Charlotte, NC
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led to a run and a 3-3 game. 
Phil Pohl
Sr. Catcher
#9 5-11, 215
Cooperstown, NY
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sacrificed Shaffer to second on the first pitch.
Garrett Boulware
Garrett Boulware
Fr. Catcher
#30 6-1, 200
Anderson, SC
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hit a long fly to right for the second out, sending Shaffer to third, but Kieboom grounded out to third to end the inning. 
Daniel Gossett
Fr. RH Pitcher
#23 6-0, 160
Lyman, SC
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came on to start the ninth for the Tigers, and he promptly gave up a single up the middle, a walk and a sharp single to right that loaded the bases with no one out. He was replaced by
Scott Firth
Scott Firth
Jr. RH Pitcher
#20 6-0, 165
Buffalo Grove, IL
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, who then walked in the go-ahead run on just four pitches. Firth then walked the next batter on five pitches, and the Heels led 5-3 with still no one out. 
David Haselden
Sr. RH Pitcher
#29 6-4, 240
Spartanburg, SC
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came on in relief of Firth, and got one out before giving up a sacrifice fly that made it 6-3. He got out of the inning without any further damage, but enough damage was done to send the Heels to their second win of the three-game series.
North Carolina 6 (12-2,2-0 ACC) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Chaz Frank cf............ 4 1 0 0 1 1 2 1 4 Tommy Coyle ss........... 5 2 3 0 0 0 3 2 0 Colin Moran 3b........... 3 0 0 1 2 1 1 2 0 Jacob Stallings c........ 4 0 0 1 1 2 6 1 1 Cody Stubbs 1b........... 5 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 2 Mike Zolk 2b............. 2 1 0 1 2 0 2 1 0 Tom Zengel dh............ 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 Brian Holberton ph/dh... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Michael Russell rf....... 4 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 1 Parks Jordan lf.......... 3 1 2 2 0 0 3 0 0 Chris Munnelly p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Chris McCue p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hobbs Johnson p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Andrew Smith p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Shane Taylor p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Michael Morin p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 33 6 6 5 8 4 27 8 10 Clemson 3 (6-6,0-2 ACC) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Thomas Brittle cf........ 4 0 1 0 0 1 6 0 1 Steve Wilkerson 2b....... 3 0 0 1 0 2 2 2 0 Richie Shaffer 3b........ 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 Phil Pohl dh............. 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Joe Costigan lf.......... 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Garrett Boulware ph/lf.. 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 Spencer Kieboom c........ 4 1 3 0 0 0 5 1 1 Jon McGibbon 1b.......... 3 0 0 0 1 0 7 0 1 Jason Stolz ss........... 4 1 3 0 0 1 0 3 2 Dominic Attanasio rf..... 4 1 1 2 0 1 3 0 0 Dominic Leone p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Jonathan Meyer p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Patrick Andrews p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Daniel Gossett p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Scott Firth p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 David Haselden p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 31 3 8 3 2 6 27 9 7 Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------- North Carolina...... 010 100 103 - 6 6 0 Clemson............. 001 020 000 - 3 8 4 ------------------------------------------- E - WILKERSON(4); SHAFFER(5); McGIBBON(1); STOLZ(2). DP - N. Carolina 2; Clemson 2. LOB - N. Carolina 10; Clemson 7. 2B - BRITTLE(2); STOLZ(2); ATTANASIO(1). HBP - BRITTLE; POHL. SH - JORDAN(2); POHL(1). SF - ZOLK(4); WILKERSON(1). SB - JORDAN(2). CS - COYLE(1). North Carolina IP H R ER BB SO AB BF ----------------------------------------------- Chris Munnelly...... 4.2 6 3 3 0 2 17 20 Chris McCue......... 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 Hobbs Johnson....... 1.2 1 0 0 1 3 6 7 Andrew Smith........ 0.0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 Shane Taylor........ 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 Michael Morin....... 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 4 4 Clemson IP H R ER BB SO AB BF ----------------------------------------------- Dominic Leone....... 4.0 4 2 1 3 3 15 19 Jonathan Meyer...... 2.2 0 1 0 1 1 11 12 Patrick Andrews..... 1.1 0 0 0 1 0 3 4 Daniel Gossett...... 0.0 2 3 3 1 0 2 3 Scott Firth......... 0.0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 David Haselden...... 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 Win - TAYLOR (3-0). Loss - GOSSETT (0-2). Save - MORIN (6). WP - LEONE(1). HBP - by MUNNELLY (POHL); by MUNNELLY (BRITTLE). Umpires - HP: A.J. Lostaglio 1B: Scott Cline 3B: Tony Walsh Start: 2:04 PM Time: 3:05 Attendance: 5513 SMITH faced 1 batter in the 8th. GOSSETT faced 3 batters in the 9th. FIRTH faced 2 batters in the 9th.
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