Lead-off batter Chase Pinder kept the numbers rolling on Friday. He hit two home runs, back-to-back in the fifth and sixth innings, to lift Clemson to a 6-1 victory over James Madison.

During the Tigers’ first game of the three-game series, Pinder’s two home runs helped extend the lead going into seventh inning.

“We were only able to get the leadoff guy on in three innings but we scored five of our six runs in those three innings. One of our big goals on offense is to get our leadoff guy on base and just hope that Pinder comes up. Pinder carried us tonight and came up with obviously two homers. He had a big, big night for us,”  Coach Lee said.

Pinder, who had missed part of last season and all of the fall season due to a shoulder injury, currently leads the Tigers in homeruns for the season with a total of three. He also leads in RBI’s with a total of nine. He totaled four just in today’s game against James Madison.

“It’s a blessing to be starting off like this. I felt confident that as long as I was healthy   and there was no pain from the surgery that I would have a chance to start off like this but you never can predict the future. I am just thankful, “ Pinder said.

Clemson head coach, Monty Lee, talked about how it’s fun to watch a leadoff guy, like Pinder, have so much power.

“It’s a lot of fun when you got a guy that’s sitting in he leadoff spot that has some pop and the good thing about it is he is going to come up to the plate more than anybody”, Coach Lee said.

The Tigers will face James Madison tomorrow at two o’clock in Doug Kingsmore in the second game of the weekend series.