Okey steps up in Tigers win over Wofford

Clemson’s Chris Okey only had one hit, but it was a big one as his fifth inning double plated two runs in the Tigers’ 7-0 victory over Wofford on Tuesday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson.

Okey finished the afternoon 1- for-4 with three RBI’s in the win.

“Chris Okey, again, just does a phenomenal job behind the plate and he finds a way to drive runs in,” Clemson head coach Monte Lee said. “It all works together. We have guys that are hitting before him that are getting on base.”

Okey drove in two of his three runs when he hit a double up the middle, scoring Reed Rohlman and Eli White.  His other RBI came back in the first inning, when he was thrown out at first, but was able to plate Chase Pinder from third on a deep grounder to short.

That gave Clemson (6-1) a 1-0 lead at the time.

“We keep finding ways to get on base with Chase Pinder, Eli White, and Reed Rohlman,” Lee said afterwards. “You got three really good hitters in front of him and he gets those RBI opportunities because of what they do but he has to be a guy that can step up and get those big hits.”

For the season, Okey leads the team in the RBI’s with 11. He is currently 6-for-24 for the season and has scored seven runs.

“He is swinging the bat really good for us. He is doing an outstanding job behind the plate,” Lee said. “So, anytime your four-hole hitter leads you in RBI’s, its probably going to be a good night for you.”

Alex Eubanks, who earned the win in relief of Alex Schnell, appreciates his catcher.

“It’s big. It helps him take it to the field so he is always focused. So, when a guy like that does well then everybody feeds off of that,” Eubanks said.

The Tiger’s will face archrival South Carolina on Friday at 7 p.m. in Columbia in Game 1 of three-game series. Saturday’s game will be in Greenville at Fluor Field (2:30 p.m.), while Sunday’s game will be in Clemson (2 p.m.).