Tigers Come Uncaged Early, Shut Down Tar Heels Late

Superb all season long on the mound for the Tigers, Matthew Crownover continued his dominance on Friday, going seven innings on 118 pitches, while leading Clemson to a 5-2 victory over the Tar Heel baseball team on Friday night at Clemson’s Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

The teams now share equal 6-7 records within ACC competition. Clemson brings its overall record above .500, at 15-14, and the Tar Heels’ mark falls to 17-12.

When UNC head coach Mike Fox talked this past week about the Tigers, the first thing that popped into his mind was their left-handed ace, who entered the game with a 1.53 ERA. Fox extended a scholarship to Crownover, a Georgia native, while he was in high school, but in the end the lefty would end up bringing his services to head coach Jack Leggett’s Clemson squad, leaving Fox disappointed in the process.

Zac Gallen settled down eventually, but allowed five runs in the first three innings. (UNC Athletics)

It was clear why on Friday, as Crownover (5-1) cut through the Tar Heel lineup with ease all night long, giving up just seven hits in seven innings, and two runs, which were each given up in the seventh after his pitch count had soared above the century mark. He also struck out eight. Once he retired the first three UNC hitters in the top of the first, he also got some offensive support right away.

A pair of RBI doubles by the Tigers’ Tyler Krieger and Chris Okey off Carolina starting pitcher Zac Gallen (1-2) in the home half of the first gave Clemson a lead it would never relinquish.

Another double in the third, this one with two outs by freshman second baseman Chase Pinder, brought two more runs in for the team in orange, and extended their lead to five. To make matters worse, UNC center-fielder Skye Bolt, arguably the team’s top fielder, previously dropped a fly-ball before there were any outs in the frame, allowing Steven Duggar to score the game’s third run.

However, Gallen would eventually settle down, going the next 3.2 innings without allowing another run, finishing the day having surrendered eight hits with five runs allowed (three earned), and five strikeouts on 99 pitches.

Offensively, the Tar Heels received just two hits in the first five innings, a double by catcher Korey Dunbar in the second, and Landon Lassiter’s single in the fourth, before finally putting a run together in the seventh.

The Tar Heels were unable to rally late. (UNC Athletics)

Eli Sutherland, the junior college transfer now playing second base for UNC, kicked things off with a one-out double, and then scoring on an RBI single by designated hitter Adam Pate. Lassiter, who picked up his second hit in the sixth inning, singled in the seventh for his third hit, scoring Adrian Chacon for Carolina’s second tally.

But Clemson reliever Taylor Vetzel, a redshirt sophomore, held strong in the final two innings to pick up his first save of the year, making sure Crownover’s performance would not go to waste. He gave up a walk to the scorching hot Lassiter in the eighth, but came out unscathed otherwise, finishing the eighth, and then throwing a perfect ninth to put an end to any comeback hopes Carolina was clinging on to.

Up Next:

Tomorrow the teams will play the second game of their ACC series, with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 P.M. JB Bukauskas (3-1, 2.77 ERA) will take the mound for Coach Mike Fox’s Tar Heels opposite another Clemson lefty, Zack Erwin (2-3, 3.05 ERA).

Game Notes:

Landon Lassiter was the clear MVP for UNC, going 3-3 with a walk and an RBI
Crownover’s ERA was lowered to 1.33, as neither run he allowed was earned.
For the game, Clemson hit 4-12 (.333) with two outs.

Tigers Come Uncaged Early, Shut Down Tar Heels Late

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