Early Action and Drama:
Another raucous crowd of over 6,000 fans at Doug Kingsmore Stadium welcomed their home Tigers with hopeful optimism to have a reason to come back to the ball park on Monday. It wouldn’t be enough, as Clemson Baseball would fall short 11-10 on a walkoff hit by Florida’s Michael Robertson in the bottom of the thirteenth inning – which included a game-tying home run by Cam Cannarella in the ninth and a solo home run to take the lead by Alden Mathes in the final inning.
Bakich’s Reaction:
When asked about Erik Bakich‘s counterpart Kevin O’Sullivan yesterday after the loss, he had this to say: “Nothing.” Today’s handshake at the plate was noticeably more icy, with Bakich’s Tigers against the ropes. Clemson would hope the home plate officiating would give a favorable strike zone as well, as Bakich would spend a little more time with the officials before returning to his players in the dugout. That gesture wouldn’t make much of a difference on this day, with all of the pauses and ejections seen throughout the game.
Game Highlights:
- Starting Plays: Mathes would start the game against the pitching version of Jac Caglianone.
- Bench-Clearing Moment: A shove between the players would ignite a bench-clearing from both teams.
- Tense Moments: With the game tied, tensions rose as both teams battled fiercely for the lead.
- Extra Innings: The game stretched into extra innings, with both teams refusing to give in.
- Walkoff Drama: Florida ultimately secured the win with a walkoff hit in the thirteenth inning.
Players’ Reflections:
After the game, players from both teams reflected on the intense match and their hopes for the future. Emotions ran high as they expressed gratitude for their coaches and pride in their team’s efforts.
Looking Forward:
Winning their ninth straight supers, Florida will head back to the College World Series looking for redemption from last year’s winner-take-all loss to LSU. Clemson will go home upset and disappointed, maybe mostly due to how it happened – but not without their heads held high. The first super regional appearance in more than a decade, this Clemson program should be proud of the way these “cardiac cats” fought through adversity and injury to leave the Tiger fans hopeful for future seasons.
This article is sponsored by our friends at Ollies Tavern in Greer SC.
