CLEMSON — Clemson scored four times in the bottom of the eighth to bust open a tie game as the No. 1 seed Tigers knocked off No. 4 seed USC-Upstate 7-3 on Friday to open regional play in Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
TP Wentworth’s RBI single in the eighth inning broke a 3-3 tie, with Andrew Ciufo then driving in a run on a squeeze, before Cam Cannarella smashed a two-run shot out to right-center, to give Clemson all the insurance it would need. It was Cannarella’s fourth home run of the season.
Cannarella finished the night 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored. Dominic Listi was 2-for-3, with two stolen bases, while Wentworth went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Jacob McGovern was lights out for the Tigers (45-16), coming on in the fifth in relief of starter Drew Titsworth and holding the Spartans scoreless in 3.1 innings pitched. He struck out six of the 11 hitters he faced and only walked one. The left-hander has not allowed a run in his last 12 innings of work.
Lucas Mahlstedt, despite blowing his second save of the season, pitched the final 1.2 innings to pick up the win (4-0).
Johnny Sweeney hit his 18th home run of the season to start the second, a solo shot out to right, giving the Spartans an early 1-0 lead. It was the ninth homer allowed by Titsworth this season.
Upstate (36-24) added another run in the fourth. Scott Newman doubled with one out, then moved to third on a sacrifice fly. Gage Griggs then singled into center, making it 2-0.
The Spartans looked on the verge of breaking it open in the fifth, loading the bases against Titsworth with nobody out. McGovern then came in out of the bullpen and struck out the first two hitters he faced, before Listi ended the threat with a diving stab in left, stranding all three runners.
The Tigers would then respond in the bottom half of the inning. Wentworth got things started with a leadoff single, before Ciufo worked a walk after a nine-pitch at-bat. Cannarella then lined one down the left-field line, driving in both runners and tying the score. Cannarella would then move to third on a foul out before coming home on a sacrifice fly by Collin Priest that gave Clemson its first lead at 3-2.
After McGovern exited with one out and nobody on in the eighth, Mahlstedt came out of the pen to try and close it down, but Newman hit a 415-foot bomb to dead center on the submariner’s very first pitch, once again tying the game.
McGovern Has Been Dominant Since Return
Since returning from injury on April 13, McGovern has now made 12 appearances. He has held teams scoreless in 10 of those. Only once has he given up more than one run in any of those appearances.
Up Next
Clemson will face off with No. 2 seed West Virginia on Saturday at 6 p.m. in the winner’s bracket of the regional.