Okey leads Clemson in rout

By Will Vandervort.

Clemson got a home run and a double by catcher Chris Okey, who plated four runs, while left fielder Reed Rohlman had two doubles and drove in three runs of his own as the Tigers snapped a three-game losing streak on Friday with a 15-6 victory at Boston College.

The Tigers, who scored at least one run in each of the last six innings, blew the game open with a five-run seventh inning when Rohlman had a bases clearing triple to score Tyler Slaton, Eli White and Tyler Krieger for a 7-0 lead. On the next at-bat, Okey blasted a ball over the left field wall to score himself and Rohlman for a 9-0 lead.

The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning when Okey doubled off the wall to left field with two outs to score Rohlman, who was at second base following a two-out double to keep the inning alive. Pinder, who had two RBIs off two hits as well, followed with a single to left, allowing Okay to come home for the two-run lead.

Clemson (17-17, 8-8 ACC) added to its lead in the fifth inning when a bad throw to first base on a fielder’s choice by the BC third baseman got away and allowed White to come all the way from first to make the score 3-0.

In the sixth inning, the Tigers added to their lead when Pinder doubled to left field, scoring Rohlman for a four-run advantage.

With the offense rolling—Clemson finished the game with 16 hits—starter Matthew Crownover was able to pitch six scoreless innings despite not having his best stuff. He issued four walks and twice had to get out jams in the fourth and fifth innings, but he was able to come out of both innings with no damage done.

In the bottom of the fourth the Eagles had runners on second and third with no outs, and then had the bases load with two outs, but he was able to get out it when he enabled a ground out to short to end the threat.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Boston College had a runner at second base with one out, but again Crownover got out of the jam by retiring the next two batters.

The Tigers’ ace allowed just three hits in the six innings he pitched. He had just three strikeouts in the 106 pitches he threw.

Clemson extended its lead to 12-0 in the top of the eighth as Okey brought in his fourth RBI after singling to centerfield. That followed Drew Wharton’s single up the middle that scored two more runs.

After the Eagles (15-19, 5-10 ACC) finally got on the scoreboard with two-runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Wharton drove two more runs in in the top of the ninth inning for Clemson with a double down the line in left field for a 14-2 lead.

Krieger singled on the next at-bat with two outs to score Wharton for a 15-2 advantage.

The Tigers and Eagles will play again on Saturday at 1 p.m.