Tigers fall short against Charlotte as season comes to a quiet end

Caden Grice is hugged at homeplate after his first inning homer. (Photo by Merrell Mann).

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sun Jun 04 15:02:55 GMT-05:00 2023

CLEMSON – Sunday’s nooner against Charlotte was about what you would expect for a team playing on short rest and missing one of its best players, and the 49ers took advantage to advance.

Charlotte scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh in a loser’s bracket game and defeated the Tigers 3-2 in the Clemson Regional at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Charlotte plays Tennessee at 6 pm. If Tennessee wins, the Vols advance to a Super Regional next weekend. If Charlotte wins, the two teams will play tomorrow for the right to advance.

Clemson’s season ends with a 44-19 record. Heading into Saturday’s game against Tennessee, the Tigers were 33-3 this season when leading after six innings. However, the Tigers lost both of those leads and both of those games as the season comes to an end. Clemson hasn't advanced out of a regional since 2010, the last time the Tigers made the trip to Omaha. Clemson won the Auburn Regional that season, then came home and defeated Alabama in the Super Regional.

Since then, the Tigers have failed to make it out of the Clemson Regional in 2011, the Columbia Regional in both 2012 and 2013, the Nashville Regional in 2014, the Fullerton Regional in 2015, Clemson Regionals in 2016-2018, and the Oxford Regional in 2019.

The Tigers started Ty Olenchuk, who was making his first appearance but his first start. Olenchuk also started as the designated hitter. He settled down after a rocky start and pitched two innings, giving up just one run while walking two and striking out two.

Clemson scored first, thanks to Caden Grice. In the top of the first, Grice worked the count to 2-0 and then drilled a line drive over the wall in right for a 1-0 lead. It was his 18th homer of the season.

Riley Bertram singled up the middle to start the top of the second, and he advanced to third on Blake Wright’s single right. One out later, Olenchuk’s infield grounder was muffed by the first baseman, and Bertram scored for a 2-0 lead.

The 49ers scored without the benefit of a hit in the third. Olenchuk walked Spencer Nolan to start the frame, and he hit the next batter to put runners at first and third. He was removed in favor of Jackson Lindley, and Lindley hit the first batter he faced to load the bases. Cam Fisher hit a sacrifice fly to score Nolan to make it 2-1.

In the meantime, Charlotte reliever Donye Evans and his slider befuddled Clemson’s batters. He pitched four strong innings, giving up just two hits, walking one and striking out eight. He came out to start the seventh but left because of shoulder pain.

Charlotte’s first hit of the day came in the bottom of the seventh when Will Butcher homered to right to make it 2-2. An error, a single and a double scored another run and Charlotte led 3-2 after eight.

49ers reliever Paxton Thompson pitched three scoreless innings for the win, allowing two hits.

Clemson ACC freshman of the year center fielder Cam Cannarella had to sit out the game after being ejected in extra innings against Tennessee late Saturday night.