FULLERTON, Calif. — Everything that happened in Saturday’s elimination game for Clemson was a microcosm of the Tigers’ entire season.

After falling behind by seven runs to No. 4 seed Pepperdine in an elimination game in the Fullerton Regional, the Tigers answered with eight runs in the sixth and seventh innings, but the bullpen gave up the lead with a single run in the Pepperdine eighth inning and then two more in the ninth as the Waves ended Clemson’s season with a 10-8 victory.

Manny Jefferson’s double to left field and Reed Rohlman’s errant throw to third allowed Matt Gelalich, who led off the ninth inning with a walk, to score the eventual game winner. Jefferson later scored on a Chris Fornaci single through the left side to make the score 10-8.

It was a disappointing ending in a game in which the Tigers showed a lot of heart and character in rallying for a 7-0 deficit after five and a half innings.

Things looked bleak for Clemson when starter Zach Erwin gave up three runs in the top of the sixth inning, allowing Pepperdine to take a commanding 7-0 lead at the time.

But the Tigers, who have played with their backs against the wall all season, started their comeback in the bottom frame of the sixth inning when Steven Duggar singled up the middle and Krieger doubled to left field. Reed Rohlman, who struggled the entire regional, grounded to second base, which allowed Duggar to score from third for Clemson’s first run of the game.

Robert Jolly then followed with a two-out single to left field to cut the Waves lead to 7-2 before the inning finally came to a close.

Clemson then exploded for six runs in the bottom the seventh to come all the way back to take an 8-7 lead. Andrew Cox and Eli White singled and doubled to open the inning and Duggar drew a walk to load the bases. Krieger and Chris Okey then responded with two-run singles before Tyler Slaton hit a two-out, two-run triple to put the Tigers in front.

But the lead didn’t last long. Pepperdine (31-28) tied the game up in the eighth with a couple of hits and then grabbed the lead for good to in the ninth to end the Tigers’ season at 32-29.

With Saturday’s loss to Pepperdine, the Tigers have now lost five straight NCAA Tournament games and seven of their last eight overall. Since going to Omaha in 2010, Clemson has not successfully made it out of a regional and has lost 10 of their last 15 games in the tournament.

The Tigers ended the season with four losses in their last five games after winning seven of their final eight to close the regular season.

With Clemson’s season over, the question now is has head coach Jack Leggett coached his last game at Clemson.

Leggett and his staff have been much maligned all season, and because of the way last season ended with two quick defeats in the Nashville Regional, athletic director Dan Radakovich did not extend his contract, which will have one year remaining in July. Radakovich told Leggett in their end of the year meeting a year ago that he wanted to see improvement in several areas.

With another quick exit in an NCAA Regional, it does not look good for the Tigers’ veteran coach. And with Clemson failing to make it out of a regional for five straight years, this is what the pundits will point to as a reason for a declining program. But Radakovich has to look at the whole picture, not just what is seen on the field.

Since the rules changed in 2010 and 2011 for the 11.7 scholarships, and how they are used in college baseball, it’s no coincidence Clemson’s decline has come at the same time.

Despite these limitations, plus the fact Clemson has not been able to get the Academic Common Market in play until this coming fall, and the university’s tough restrictions on JUCO transfers, the Tigers are still one of just 11 teams to qualify for the NCAA Tournament in each of the last seven years.

Clemson also spent the entire 2014 season without a clubhouse and locker room as the school finishes a new facility down the first base line that will house both, as well as coaches’ offices and a museum. This is a facility Leggett has been clamoring for the last 10 years. Also, a lot of his former players helped fund the new facility.

So Clemson’s baseball season came to another disappointing close on Saturday, now Radakovich has to decide if he is going to end a Hall of Fame career at Clemson. A career that has carried the Tigers to 21 NCAA Tournaments in 22 years, six College World Series, nine Super Regionals, 11 Regional Championships, three ACC Regular Season Championships, two ACC Tournament Championships, one Atlantic Division title and 955 wins.