ARLINGTON, Texas — Clemson batted around in the first and again in the ninth as the No. 15 Tigers cruised by No. 21 Arizona 16-5 Saturday afternoon in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown at Globe Life Field.

Clemson hitters finished the afternoon with 17 hits, six going for extra bases.

The win also gives Clemson (2-0) back-to-back victories over Top 25 teams to start the season.

Reed Garris came on in the bottom of the seventh after the Wildcats had pulled to within three runs at 8-5 and slammed the door shut on any comeback attempt. The hard-throwing right-hander retired all six hitters he faced, striking out three. Joe Allen came on in the ninth to record the final three outs.

Ethan Darden got the start, holding the Wildcats scoreless across four innings of work. The left-handed hurler allowed just two hits while striking out six.

Drew Tittsworth followed Darden, allowing one run in two innings of work as he notched his first win of the season.

In his debut in a Clemson jersey, Collin Priest helped lead the way at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two run-scoring doubles and a walk. Dominic Listi finished 3-for-5 with four RBI, while Cam Cannarella was also 4-for-6 with three doubles, an RBI and four runs scored.

Clemson wasted no time getting on the board in this one, scoring seven times in the top of the first and chasing Arizona starter Owen Kramkowski before he could record three outs.

The Tigers sent 11 hitters to the plate and pounded out eight base hits in the decisive first inning, hitting six singles and two doubles. Josh Paino got the scoring started with a one-out RBI single. Priest followed that with an RBI double in his very first at-bat for Clemson, with Jacob Jarrell, Tristan Bissetta, Jarren Purify and Listi all driving in at least one run in the opening frame. Both of Listi’s base hits came in the first.

The Wildcats finally pushed across a run of their own in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single by Brendan Summerhill.

In the bottom of the seventh, Chance Fitzgerald relieved Tittsworth and surrendered three straight singles before allowing a three-run homer to Summerhill that cut the Tigers’ lead to 8-5. Garris would come on and strike out the first two hitters he faced before getting a fly ball to stop the bleeding.

The Tigers batted around in the ninth. After loading the bases with nobody out in the top of the inning, Clemson was able to blow the game wide open. Jarrell walked on four straight pitches to force in one run and Bissetta was hit by a pitch to force in a second. Ciufo then had a sac fly, before Listi laced a single out to right that scored two more runs and put the Tigers up 13-5. Cannarella and Paino added run-scoring singles to give Clemson its biggest lead of the day at 16-5.

Clemson will finish the weekend Showdown in Arlington by facing off against SEC foe Ole Miss on Sunday. First pitch is set for 3:30 pm.