Tuesday afternoon the bats sprung back to life for a Clemson team that struggled to get going offensively the previous weekend. The Tigers racked up 13 hits including a pair of homeruns in a 12-4 beat down of Furman in Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
Entering the season national pundits tapped Clemson as one of the best hitting teams in the country and it certainly played to that standard Tuesday afternoon.
The catalyst for the Tigers’ offensive success against the Paladins was senior first baseman Chris Williams, who ignited the bats with a three-run blast to right center in the fifth inning that blew the game open and gave Clemson a lead it would not relinquish.
Williams knew his team had more to give offensively but it was not a burden but an opportunity to show what the Tigers could do.
“We came off the weekend with a sweep,” Williams said. “But we knew playing in the midweek the best thing we could do is be calm and confident at the plate, swinging at good pitches to drive the ball.”
The veteran first baseman who decided to return for his senior season after being drafted in the 31st round by the Tampa Bay Rays, put together one of the most productive games of his career Tuesday. He finished the game two-for-four at the plate with six RBIs, a sacrifice fly, a homerun, and a double.
Both of Williams hits came on two strike counts when his back was against the wall.
“All my hits tonight were with two strikes, all my production came with two strikes,” Williams said. “It’s a credit to our two-strike approach and not trying to do too much, it felt really good to do that.”
Clemson needs much of the same production going into a series with a stout Dallas Baptist team that many publications rank in the top-25 and Williams’ production will be key for the Tigers to stay on pace.