SHELBY, N.C. — It was not Clemson’s day as the Tigers traveled to Shelby, N.C. and were defeated by Gardner-Webb 9-7 at Keeter Stadium.

Sunday’s starter Jacob Hennessy who has recently had strong midweek starts suffered his first loss of the season by going 2.2 innings while giving up six runs, three of which were earned, on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts.

Clemson jumped out to an early lead as Sam Hall led off the game with a walk. Logan Davidson followed with a single to put two on with no outs. Later in the inning Kyle Wilkie grounded out to shortstop to bring in Hall and give Clemson a 1-0 lead.

That lead did not last long though as Gardner-Webb scored six runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 6-1 lead.

Ben LaSpaluto started the scoring with a one out, two-run home run. After a walk and a single, Eric Jones then followed with another single to score Chandler Redmond. Hennessy then hit JP McGuire.

Following the hit by pitch, two more runs scored on an error by Jordan Greene at second base. Travis Marr then took the mound and gave up an RBI single to Chris McClary before striking out CJ White to end the inning.

Gardner-Webb added to its lead in the fourth inning with two more runs to make it an 8-1 game.

LaSpaluto led off with a double and was driven in two batters later by Chandler Redmond’s double off of the right center wall. Later in the fourth Jones singled to bring in Redmond.

In the top of the fifth inning Davidson doubled with two outs. Clemson then tacked on another run thanks to Grayson Byrd’s RBI single to make it an 8-2 ballgame.

Gardner-Webb continued to add to their lead with one more run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Mitch McLendon led off with a single and later scored to make it 9-2 thanks to a base hit from White.

Clemson again slowly chipped away with another run in the top of the sixth thanks to a two-out double from Michael Green followed by a single from Grayson Byrd.

Justin Hawkins singled in the eighth to bring in Bryar Hawkins for  another run, but Greene was thrown out at the plate for the third out.

The Tigers kept their hopes alive in the bottom of the ninth inning. Wilkie doubled with two outs in the ninth inning to make it 9-5, while Byrd scored later on a wild pitch to make it 9-6. Bryar Hawkins then singled to score Willkie cut Gardner-Webb’s lead to just two runs. But that’s where it ended.

Owen Griffith entered in relief of Travis Marr and allowed just one hit and no runs in 2.2 innings of work with no walks and four strikeouts. Carson Spiers pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Tigers (28-19, 12-12 ACC) will be back home Tuesday night taking on Presbyterian College at 6 p.m.