CLEMSON — Clemson scored six times in the bottom of the eighth, breaking open a tie game and pushing the No. 19 Tigers to a 9-3 win over Bryant in game one of a three-game weekend series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

Tryston McCladdie’s two-run single in that decisive frame turned a one-run lead into a three-run lead, and the Tigers (5-0) never looked back.

Luke Gaffney was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, with a solo homer and two runs driven in, while Jacob Jarrell went 2-for-3 with a homer, RBI and two runs scored. Jack Crighton finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Starter Aidan Knaak went five innings, allowing just one unearned run on one hit while striking out eight. He did walk two batters.

Justin LeGuernic relieved Knaak to begin the fifth, allowing just one hit with two strikeouts in two-plus innings. Bryant did score two unearned runs that were charged to the lefty.

Joe Allen came on to relieve LeGuernic after he issued a leadoff walk to start the eighth. Allen retired the next three hitters, striking out two of them in picking up his second win (2-0) of the young season. Nathan Dvorksy pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to finish it off.

Bryant (2-2) got the scoring started thanks to a fielding blunder. Centerfielder Bryce Clavon misread a ball off the bat of Charlie Saul, allowing it to get behind him and all the way to the wall. Saul came all the way around to score, giving the Bulldogs an early 1-0 lead.

Gaffney quickly tied it up in the bottom half of the inning, launching a solo shot out to left for his first home run of the season. After a Crighton single, Jarrell went deep out to left. The two-run shot was his third of the season and made it 3-1.

The score would remain that way until the seventh, when a double and then a fielding error by McCladdie led to two unearned runs off LuGuernic that tied the game at 3-3.

Jason Fultz’s bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth would break the tie. It was the true freshman’s first career RBI. After Jarren Purify struck out, McCladdie drove in two with a single into right, making it 6-3. Gaffney would also walk with the bases loaded later in the inning, with Ty Dalley adding a sac fly and Crighton adding a run-scoring single.

Sloppy Defense

Clemson made three fielding errors in this game and has now made seven on the season. Clavon and McCladdie both have two through the first five games.

Those two errors led to all three runs for the Bulldogs. When you limit a team to just 2 base hits and strike out 14 as a staff, you aren’t expecting three runs to be scored. Bryant was hitless (0-for-10) with runners on base.

McCladdie’s Hot Start

The third baseman has at least one hit in each of the first five games. The lefty is hitting .389 and has driven in seven runs. He more than made up for the fielding error with the two-run hit in the eighth. He’s also 2-of-3 on stolen base attempts.

Pitching Continues to Excel

Four Clemson pitchers combined to strike out 14, a season-high, and limit Bryant to just two base hits. All three of their runs were unearned. This staff has given up just two earned runs across the first five games and sports a team ERA of 0.43.

Up Next

The same two teams will face off again on Saturday. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. with Michael Sharman scheduled to start for Clemson.