By Will Vandervort.
With one out and one on in the bottom of the seventh inning Wednesday, third baseman Weston Wilson sent Wofford’s Connell Anderson’s 3-1 fastball into the seats of the Chapman Grandstands in left field lifting surging Clemson to an 11-5 victory at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
The win was the Tigers’ fourth straight and sends them into this weekend’s series with archrival South Carolina with a 5-2 record. Clemson will host the 12th-ranked Gamecocks at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.
Wilson finished the day with two hits and three RBIs. Redshirt freshman Reed Rohlman went 4-for4 and was a triple away from hitting for the cycle. He had a double in the bottom of the first inning and then hit his first career home run in the bottom of the third. The Tigers scored the game’s last eight runs.
The loss was Wofford’s first of the season in eight games. Clemson relief pitcher Charlie Barnes earned the victory after pitching the 3.1 scoreless innings.
The Tigers added three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning as Tyler Krieger and Steven Duggar both drove in runs. Clemson has scored 10 or more runs in three of the last four games.
Clemson took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a Krieger single to right field that scored Slaton third and Rohlman from second. Rohlman doubled to left field after Slaton drew a walk to opening the frame.
The Tigers went up 3-1 in the bottom of the third inning when Rohlman had his first career home run—the first of the year for the team—with a blast over the right field wall.
But Clemson could not hold the lead as the Terriers got two runs in the top of the fourth to tie the game and then doubled up the Tigers again in the top of the fifth to take the lead at 5-3.
Kody Ruedisili and Derek Hirsch had RBIs in the fourth inning, while Carson Waln singled to left centerfield to plate Matt Ramsay and James Plaisted in the fifth inning.
Plaisted’s hit ran Clemson starter Clate Schmidt off. The junior gave up five earned runs on six hits in 4.2 innings of work. He threw 82 pitches , walked three and struck out three more.
The Tigers jumped back out in front with a three-run bottom of the fifth inning when Duggar grounded out to short to score Slaton, while Okey followed with an infield single in which he ran out the throw from Hirsh at short. Wilson then singled through the right side to score Krieger for a 6-5 lead.
Two of the three runs came with two outs.