CLEMSON, S.C. – Despite having only three hits on the day, the 10th-ranked Clemson Tigers capitalized on seven walks and five Elon Phoenix errors to pick up a 7-4 non-conference baseball victory on Wednesday afternoon from Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Clemson improved to 13-6 this season. Elon fell to 17-8 in 2006.
For the second straight day, Elon jumped out on top of the Tigers in the first inning. Donny Jobe began the inning with a double to right-center and advanced to third on Adam Weaver’s sacrifice bunt. Chris Price’s single plated Jobe with the game’s first run, but the Phoenix was unable to push across any more in its first at bat of the afternoon.
Clemson began its first at bat with a four pitch walk to Herman Demmink. Elon starter Justin Bors then plunked Brad Chalk to put runners on first and second with no outs. A balk moved both runners up before Taylor Harbin lifted a sacrifice fly to left-center to even the score at one. An error by the Phoenix put runners on the corners before a steal of second reset the runners at second and third. The Tigers took a 2-1 lead when Andy D’Alessio grounded out to first, plating Chalk with the go-ahead run.
Grant Rembert drew a walk to lead off the second inning for the Phoenix before advancing to second on a balk with one out. Jordy Snyder drew a walk to give Elon two men aboard for Ryan Addison. A walk to Addison loaded the bases as the Phoenix got back to the top of the order for Jobe. Jobe picked up an RBI when as he drew a four pitch walk, scoring Rembert to even the score at two. All three runners advanced, including Snyder with Elon’s third run of the day, on a wild pitch. Addison scampered home on the second wild pitch of the inning from Clemson pitchers.
The control problems continued for Bors in the second as he walked Stan Widmann on four straight pitches to start the inning. A failed pickoff attempt allowed Widmann to advance to third with one out. Widmann then scored on a groundout to short, cutting the Phoenix lead to 4-3. After Bors walked Demmink, Elon skipper Mike Kennedy turned the ball over to Jesse Lewter with two outs. Demmink swiped second and moved to third when the throw from Pat Irvine went into centerfield. Lewter also entered with control problems, walking Chalk on four pitches, but got the next batter to fly out to center to end the inning.
Clemson’s Alex Burg drew a two-out walk and then stole second before Widmann’s single to center drove him in with to tie the score at four in the third inning. The hit was the first of the day for the Tigers.
Elon’s fourth error of the game on a fly to right allowed Doug Hogan to reach third to lead off the fourth inning before a wild pitch allowed him to score with Clemson’s fifth run of the afternoon. Demmink reached on an infield single and advanced to second on a sac bunt. With two outs, he moved to third on a wild pitch. A walk to Tyler Colvin put runners on the corners for D’Alessio who flew out to center to end the threat.
In the top of the fifth, Price singled through the right side of the infield with his 200th career hit. He was then erased as Chris Vasami reached on a fielder’s choice. Pinch hitter Ryan Radford tallied a two-out single to put two men aboard before Rembert singled to load the bases. Paul Bennett then grounded into a fielder’s choice to leave the bases full.
In the seventh, Harbin reached on an Elon error to begin the inning. With one out, D’Alessio made the Phoenix pay for its error, blasting a two-run homer over the wall in left to give the Tigers a 7-4 advantage.
Lewter (0-1) took the loss for Elon, throwing 4.2 innings and allowing four runs (two earned) on three hits. Phoenix pitchers allowed only three earned runs on the day.
Picking up the victory for Clemson was Alex Martin (1-0). Martin did not allow a run on four hits over 3.1 innings of work in relief.
Price was the only Phoenix player to have a multi-hit game, posting a 2-for-4 day with one RBI. Vasami did not record a hit and had his 12-game hitting streak snapped.
For Clemson, D’Alessio drove in three in a 1-for-3 afternoon.
Elon will return home to face SoCon foe Appalachian State in a three-game series beginning Friday night at 7:00 p.m. from Latham Park.
-- ELON -- Game Box Score
