Finally!: Tigers advance to a Super Regional with big win over Coastal

Clemson is on to the Super Regionals for the first time since 2010.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sun Jun 02 21:38:36 GMT-05:00 2024

CLEMSON – Finally.

Clemson scored in all but two innings and scored six in the bottom of the eighth to defeat Coastal Carolina 12-5 Sunday night at Doug Kingsmore to win the Clemson Regional and advance to a Super Regional for the first time since 2010.

In other words, one monkey off the back (advance to a Super) and one to go (advance to Omaha and the College World Series). The Tigers will host the winner of the Oklahoma St. Regional, which will either be Florida or Oklahoma St., in a best-of-three series next weekend.

Alden Mathes scored three times and drove in three and Jacob Hinderleider drove in three for the Tigers.

Clemson improves to 44-14 with the win, and Coastal’s season ends with a 36-25 record. The game marked the end of the coaching career of Gary Gilmore at Coastal, a program he rebuilt and turned into a National Champion in 2016.

The Tigers scored in every inning early, putting the pressure on the Coastal pitching staff. Alden Mathes was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the first, and Jacob Hinderleider followed with a walk. Blake Wright singled through the left side to score the first run, and Cam Cannarella’s high fly ball to center was dropped by the right fielder to load the bases, and the second run scored on a fielder’s choice.

The Chants started the second inning with three consecutive singles to score their first run, but Clemson starter Ethan Darden was helped out by Wright at third. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, but Wright held on to the ball and touched gloves with Darden, who walked back to the mound. Wright took his place at third, and runner Dean Mihos took a cautious lead off the bag. Wright ran over and tagged Mihos for the second out, and Darden escaped further damage by inducing a groundout.

Nolan Nawrocki walked with one out in the second, stole second, and later scored when Mathes’ sharp grounder to first was booted by the first baseman.

Jimmy Obertop smacked a home run to dead center in the third, his 20th of the season, for a 4-1 Clemson lead. Mathes walked with two out in the fourth, moved to second on a failed pickoff attempt, and scored on Hinderleider’s RBI single for a 5-1 lead.

Coastal’s Zach Beach doubled to lead off the fifth, but it looked like Darden might again escape trouble after two quick strikeouts. However, Sam Antonacci looped a single over short to score Beach and make it 5-2. Darden was replaced by Reed Garris, who got out of further trouble.

The Tigers needed a good start from Darden and got it – he pitched 4 2/3 innings and gave up two runs while walking one and striking out two.

Two walks and a single loaded the bases for the Tigers in the bottom of the fifth, and Jack Crighton drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 6-2. However, Mathes and Purify each lined out and the Tigers weren’t able to pick up the big blow that might put the game out of reach.

The Tigers loaded the bases again in the sixth with one out, but Bissetta and Crighton each struck out to end the threat, and in the seventh, Wright lined out to right to leave two runners on base.

Garris held the Chants in check but ran into big trouble in the top of the eighth. Antonnaci singled with one out, and with two outs, Bodine cracked a long homer to right to make it 6-4. Up stepped Derek Bender, and he cranked a long homer to center to end the night for Garris and make it 6-5.

Austin Gordon replaced Garris and retired Blake Barthol with a strikeout on four pitches to end the inning.

The crowd finally showed its emotion in the bottom of the eighth. Cannarella led off the inning and worked the count to 2-0, then launched a long homer that cleared the bleachers in right and landed on top of the batting cage to make it 7-5. As the ball sailed into the night sky, Cannarella pointed to his dugout as he neared first and then stomped on home plate as an exclamation point to his regional.

The Tigers weren’t done. Obertop reached on an error and Bissetta roped a 116-MPH screamer into right that put runners at second and third. Crighton bounced one over the drawn-in infield to score Obertop to make it 8-5. Nawrocki struck out, but Purify was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Mathes fell into a quick 0-2 hole but laced the 1-2 pitch into right-center for a two-run double that made it 10-5. That brought up Hinderleider, who stroked a double off the bag at third to score two runs and make it 12-5.

Gordon pitched a perfect ninth to end the Regional.

2024 Clemson (S.C.) Regional All-Tournament Team

C - Caden Bodine, Coastal Carolina

1B - Jack Crighton, Clemson

2B - Blake Barthol, Coastal Carolina

SS - Jacob Hinderleider*, Clemson

3B - Sam Antonacci, Coastal Carolina

OF - Cam Cannarella*, Clemson

OF - Tristan Bissetta, Clemson

OF - Matthew Polk, Vanderbilt

DH/UT - Derek Bender, Coastal Carolina

P - Henry Weycker, Coastal Carolina