So much for small ball.
Prior to Friday’s season opener against South Alabama, Clemson head coach Monte Lee said the Tigers are going to have to play a little “small ball” to score runs, especially early in the season.
After losing power hitters Seth Beer and Chris Williams in the lineup, the question entering the 2019 season is where the power in the line might come from. It is still a long way to go before that question will be answered, but Logan Davidson and Michael Green got the Tigers off to a good start.
Davidson hit a three-run homer down the left field line in the bottom of the fifth inning and Green, a transfer from the College of Charleston, added a solo home run in the seventh as No. 14 Clemson won its second straight season opener with a 6-2 victory at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson.
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Davidson launched a bomb down the leftfield line on a 1-0 pitch from reliever Jared Proctor. The home run came with one out after Sam Hall and Green got on with back-to-back walks.
The three-run shot from Davidson gave Clemson a 3-2 lead at the time.
South Alabama grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning when Ethan Wilson and Wells Davis hit back-to-back home runs off Clemson starter Brooks Crawford.
Wilson’s home run came off a 1-0 pitch that cleared the wall in left field. Davis took a 2-1 offering from Brooks to centerfield.
Before the back-to-back home runs, Brooks sat down the Jaguars in order in the first three innings. He left the game with two outs in the top of the fifth inning.
The Tigers had opportunities in the first three innings to get on the board. In each inning they had a runner on second with one out. However, in each instance South Alabama starter Drake Nightengale retired the side with strikeouts.
Nigthengale finished the afternoon with six strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings of work. He was charged with one earned run and walked four.
Clemson extended its lead in the bottom of the seventh inning when Green sent Nick DeSantis’ 1-1 pitch to right field. The solo home run with one out gave the Tigers a 4-2 lead.
Catcher Kyle Wilkie’s 29-game hitting streak, dating back to last season, came to an end after he drew a walk on his last official at-bat of the game. The junior finished the day 0-for-2 with two walks. He does have a 40-game on base streak, however.
The Jaguars had an opportunity to tie the game or take the lead in the top of the eighth inning when they loaded the bases off Clemson reliever Mat Clark.
However, Carson Spiers was able to end the threat when he got South Alabama’s Carter Perkins to hit back to the mound. The junior grabbed the ball near his right ear and then tossed it over to first for the final out.
Clark earned the win for Clemson, while Spiers got the save.
The Tigers got three straight hits with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to up its lead to 6-2. Hall singled home Bryce Teodosio and Bo Majkowski with a base hit to left centerfield.
Clemson and South Alabama will play a doubleheader on Saturday. Game 2 of the three-game series will start at 1 p.m., and Game 3 with start about an hour after Game 2.
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