Tigers scratch out just one run in 2-1 loss to UAB |
CLEMSON – The biggest question mark concerning Clemson’s baseball team heading into this season centered on where the offense would come from considering that missing from last year’s NCAA Tournament team were five offensive starters.
Those concerns proved to be well-founded, at least for one game, as the Tigers punched out only four hits and stranded nine in a 2-1 loss to UAB in the season opener at Doug Kingsmore Stadium Friday afternoon. The Tigers dropped a season opener for the first time since 2004, when the Tigers lost 5-4 to Charlotte. “We just didn’t do anything offensively to get excited about,” Clemson head coach
Jack Leggett Leggett said he has also been concerned about the offense, but also realizes it is a long season. “We’ve played one game, we’ve got a long way to go,” Leggett said. “I’ve been concerned about that [the offense] all along, replacing five guys. This is our team. We’ve got to get better. The kids will be in the same opportunities tomorrow, the same chances the next day. We’ve got to do better.” The Tigers jumped on the board early, scratching out a single run in the bottom of the second. With one out, first baseman
Jon McGibbon However, designated hitter
Phil Pohl Tiger starter
Kevin Brady “I felt really good,” Brady said after his longest start since last February. “As long as I kept my fastball down and worked off that, I felt like I was pitching well. It [his arm] felt pretty good, and I went about as long as I figured I would go. I wanted to go out there and finish the sixth, but I knew that if I got into a jam they were going to come get me. Which is okay, because I trust the bullpen?” Campbell gave up the tie-breaking run in the top of the seventh when Tyler Mims hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored Keith DePew. DePew scored both of the Blazer runs on the day. Right fielder
Brad Felder The Tigers hit 13 fly ball outs, and he said his team has to hit the ball on the ground to be successful. “We’ve got to keep the ball out of the air,” Leggett said. “It doesn’t do much good with the ball in the air, the way these bats carry. We’ve got to get the ball on the ground. We’ve got a lot of speed on our team and we’ve got to use it.” Inclement weather has forced a change in the series schedule. Instead of playing single games Saturday and Sunday, the teams will play a doubleheader Saturday, with a pair of nine-inning games, beginning at 11 a.m. There will be a 45-minute break between games. 
Jack Leggett
Baseball Head Coach
View Full Profile
said. “We had some opportunities. The right guys up, a few guys on base, but we had five, six, seven innings where we didn’t get anyone on base.” 
Jon McGibbon
So.
#12 6-1, 210
Lindenhurst, NY
View Full Profile
walked. Catcher
Spencer Kieboom
Spencer Kieboom
Jr. Catcher
#22 6-0, 220
Marietta, GA
View Full Profile
then lined a fastball off the left-center field wall, scoring McGibbon easily for the season’s first run. 
Phil Pohl
Sr. Catcher
#9 5-11, 215
Cooperstown, NY
View Full Profile
had gotten on base to start the inning when he has hit by a pitch from Blazer starter Dillon Napoleon. Napoleon threw wild in a pickoff attempt at first base, and Pohl was thrown out at third trying to stretch the play into a third base error. 
Kevin Brady
RS Jr. RH Pitcher
#19 6-3, 220
Gaithersburg, MS
View Full Profile
kept Clemson close, allowing just one run through five innings, throwing 76 pitches while walking two and striking out four. He was replaced by
Matt Campbell
Matt Campbell
So. RH Pitcher
#36 5-11, 185
Alpharetta, GA
View Full Profile
after facing one batter in the sixth. 
Brad Felder
Gr. Outfielder
#3 6-0, 200
Bowman, SC
View Full Profile
’s fly-out to center stranded a pair of runners in the sixth, and after reliever Ryan Nance plunked two Tigers in the eighth, Felder stepped to the plate with two out but grounded out to the end the threat.
UAB 2 (1-0) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Ivan De Jesus lf......... 5 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 2 Coy Arrowood cf.......... 3 0 1 0 1 2 5 0 0 John Frost 1b............ 4 0 1 0 0 0 4 2 3 Patrick Palmeiro 3b...... 4 0 1 0 0 1 3 3 0 Michael Busby dh......... 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Jeff Schalk rf........... 4 0 0 0 0 2 6 0 2 Keith DePew 2b/ss........ 2 2 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 Jacob German c........... 3 0 3 0 0 0 3 0 0 Matt Morse ss............ 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 Tyler Mims ph........... 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Wes Kent 2b............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Ryan Prinzing ph........ 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tanner Bryant ss........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Dillon Napoleon p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Ryan Nance p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 31 2 8 2 3 7 27 7 8 Clemson 1 (0-1) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Thomas Brittle cf........ 4 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 Tyler Slaton lf.......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 Richie Shaffer 3b........ 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 Phil Pohl dh............. 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jon McGibbon 1b.......... 2 1 0 0 1 0 7 0 3 Spencer Kieboom c........ 3 0 2 1 0 0 7 1 0 Brad Felder rf........... 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 4 Jason Stolz ss........... 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 Jay Baum 2b.............. 4 0 1 0 0 0 4 2 0 Kevin Brady p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Matt Campbell p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Daniel Gossett p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 29 1 4 1 2 2 27 8 9 Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------- UAB................. 000 010 100 - 2 8 1 Clemson............. 010 000 000 - 1 4 0 ------------------------------------------- E - NAPOLEON(1). DP - Clemson 1. LOB - UAB 8; Clemson 9. 2B - ARROWOOD(1); GERMAN 2(2); S. KIEBOOM(1); BAUM(1). HBP - BRITTLE; POHL 2; McGIBBON; S. KIEBOOM. SH - GERMAN(1); SLATON(1). SF - MORSE(1); MIMS(1). UAB IP H R ER BB SO AB BF ----------------------------------------------- Dillon Napoleon..... 7.0 4 1 1 2 1 23 29 Ryan Nance.......... 2.0 0 0 0 0 1 6 8 Clemson IP H R ER BB SO AB BF ----------------------------------------------- Kevin Brady......... 5.0 4 1 1 2 4 17 20 Matt Campbell....... 3.0 4 1 1 0 3 12 13 Daniel Gossett...... 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 2 4 Win - NAPOLEON (1-0). Loss - CAMPBELL (0-1). Save - NANCE (1). HBP - by NAPOLEON (POHL); by NAPOLEON (BRITTLE); by NAPOLEON (McGIBBON); by NANCE (POHL); by NANCE (S. KIEBOOM). Umpires - HP: Danny Everett 1B: Jeremy Dupree 3B: Kevin Elzey Start: 4:08 PM Time: 2:33 Attendance: 5944 BRADY faced 1 batter in the 6th.
Upgrade Your Account
Unlock premium boards and exclusive features (e.g. ad-free) by upgrading your account today.
Upgrade Now
