GREENVILLE, S.C. — Clemson got a career-night from relief pitcher B.J. Bailey along with four home runs from the offense as the No. 11 Tigers blanked USC-Upstate 7-0 at Fluor Field on Tuesday.

All seven of Clemson’s runs came via the long ball, with Jacob Jarrell, Josh Paino, Tristan Bissetta and Andrew Ciufo all going deep.

After coming on in relief in the third, Bailey pitched a career-high 4.2 innings while limiting the Spartans to four hits in picking up his first win of the season (1-0). His six strikeouts were also a new career-high, and he did not walk a batter. Bailey also picked off a runner at first in the seventh.

Three Upstate pitchers combined to retire 12 Clemson hitters in a row to start the game and allowed just four total hits through the first seven innings, with three of those coming in what turned out to be a decisive fifth.

Collin Priest led off the frame with a sharp single into centerfield to end the hitless drought. Josh Paino then blistered a double into left, putting runners at second and third with no outs. Jarrell would then send a shot out to dead center, putting the Tigers up 3-0. It was Jarrell’s second home run of the season.

Upstate loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, but Tittsworth came in and struck out the only hitter he faced to strand all three runners.

Paino and Bissetta both hit solo shots in the ninth, while Ciufo added a two-run shot to give the Tigers all the insurance they would need. Ciufo’s was a 448-foot bomb, his first of the season. Jarren Purify just missed a homer of his own, tripling off the big green wall in left.

Jacob McGovern got the start, pitching 2.1 innings of scoreless baseball. Bailey would come on in the third after the Spartans put runners on first and second with one out. He retired the first two hitters he saw to escape the jam.

Freshman Chayce Kieck recorded the final three outs in the ninth.

Up Next

Clemson returns home to host Presbyterian on Wednesday. First pitch at Doug Kingsmore is set for 4 p.m.