Greene Leads Clemson over Tar Heels, 10-2

by Press Release - Sat Apr 01 18:48:20 GMT-04:00 2000

Chapel Hill, N.C. -- Freshman righthander Jarrod Schmidt tossed Clemson's first complete game of the year as the top-ranked Tigers defeated No. 8 North Carolina 10-2 Saturday afternoon in Atlantic Coast Conference baseball action at Boshamer Stadium. Clemson totaled 13 hits after having just two hits in yesterday's 6-0 defeat to the Tar Heels. UNC falls to 26-6, 3-5 in the ACC, while Clemson ended a brief two-game skid and improves to 24-5 overall, 4-1 in the ACC.

Schmidt (4-0), who was making his sixth start of the season, allowed seven hits, one walk, and two unearned runs while striking out five in the complete game victory. He threw 106 pitches. All seven hits allowed were singles.

UNC starter Eric Henderson (4-3) lasted three innings and allowed six runs, four earned, on six hits and two walks for the loss, his third straight in ACC play after opening the season 4-0.

Clemson capitalized on Carolina's sloppiest performance of the season for three unearned runs. The Tar Heels had five miscues on the afternoon.

Clemson jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first. Khalil Greene sparked the Tigers with an RBI double down the left field line and he later scored on a wild pitch for the early advantage. Greene had three doubles and a single along with six RBIs. His four hits and six RBIs were the most in a game by a Tiger this season.

Chad Prosser led off the bottom of the third with Carolina's first hit of the game, and a Dan Moylan single to center field sent Prosser home and cut the Tiger lead to 2-1.

A five-run fourth by Clemson stretched the lead to 7-1. Henderson pitched to four batters in the inning, including a bases-loaded walk to Patrick Boyd which scored Casey Stone, before being relieved by B.J. Finnerty. Greene hit a three-run double off Finnerty to right-center field and Jarrod Schmidt added a sacrifice fly to center for Clemson*s fifth run of the inning.

Stone, who was 2-for-5 on the afternoon, scored in the seventh and Greene's third double knocked in two more Clemson runs in the top of the ninth. Brian Ellis (2-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 run) also had a big day at the plate. Ellis was robbed when Adam Greenberg took a homer away from the catcher with a spectacular grab in right center.

Prosser (2-for-3) and Russ Adams (2-for-4) had multi-hit games for the Tar Heels who managed one final run in the ninth.

The Tar Heels and Tigers complete their three-game series Sunday at 1:30 p.m.