The Clemson Insider looks back at No. 5 Clemson’s 10-8 win over Western Carolina on Wednesday night at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

What happened?

The Catamounts (6-40) jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but the Tigers (37-12) answered in a big way in the bottom of the second. Sam Hall hit a RBI single to put Clemson on the board followed by a two-run Jordan Greene double gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead. Logan Davidson then hit a two-run homer to make it 5-2 Clemson. Western Carolina got a run back on a solo homer in the third to cut the lead to 5-3, but Seth Beer would hit a massive two-run homer in the fourth to stretch the score to 7-3. The Catamounts would not quit though, plating three runs in the fifth and an unearned run in the sixth to tie the game at 7-7. In the bottom of the sixth, Kyle Wilkie hit a two-out, infield RBI single to give the Tigers an 8-7 lead and Chris Williams would add some insurance two batters later on a two-run double to extend the Clemson advantage to 10-7. Western Carolina would get a run back in the ninth and had the go-ahead run at the plate, but Owen Griffith shut down the rally to give the Tigers the 10-8 midweek win.

Game-Changing Moment:

The game had several momentum swings for both teams, but the sixth inning proved to be the biggest for Clemson. Sam Hall led off the inning with a HBP before stealing second and moving up to third on a strikeout that the catcher had to throw down to first base. Wilkie then hit a check swing, slow roller to shortstop and hustled down the line to beat the throw to plate the go-ahead run and keep the inning alive.

What went right?

The offense was racked up 10 runs on 12 hits, four walks, and a HBP as eight of the nine starters recorded a hit and all nine starters reach base at least once. Six different players (Davidson – 2, Wilkie – 1, Beer – 2, Williams – 2, Hall – 1, Greene – 2) recorded a RBI while seven different scored a run. Davidson extended his hitting streak to 10 games while Wilkie had a team-high three hits to run his hitting streak to 15 games.

What went wrong?

The Tigers let a scappy Catamount team get back into the game in the middle innings as both starter Sam Weatherly and reliever Travis Marr scuffled a bit on the mound. Weatherly allowed three runs on four hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 3.2 innings while Marr allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and a walk with two strikeouts in 3.1 innings.