Clemson Baseball Slugs Way Past Georgia Southern on Way to California

The Clemson Tigers baseball team need every run it could get to outlast Georgia Southern in a neutral site game on Tuesday.

Clemson infielder Josh Paino (8) scores the second run of the game against South Carolina during the bottom of the first inning at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, S.C. Friday, February 28, 2025. | Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers baseball team received several impressive offensive performances in their 10-8 victory over Georgia Southern on Tuesday.

The game was played at SRP Park in North Augusta, S.C. It was Clemson’s first game at SRP Park since 2021.

It was also the Tigers’ last game in the eastern time zone for the week. Later this week the Tigers will head all the way to Berkeley, Calif., to square off with new ACC rival the California Golden Bears in a three-game series that starts on Friday.

So, Tuesday’s game was the final tune-up for the Tigers before their cross-country journey, their first since Cal and Stanford joined the conference.

The Tigers (27-5) received big games from Collin Priest, Tryston McCladdie and Josh Paino at the plate.

Priest, who batted fifth in the order and served as the designated hitter, went 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. McCladdie, who played right field, went 1-for-2 with two RBI and a run scored. Paino, who played at third base, went 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored.

Clemson led from the start, with two runs in the first inning and one more in the third inning. Georgia Southern did keep it close with two runs in the third inning, trimming the Tigers’ lead to 3-2. But a three-run sixth inning by Clemson put them in control of the contest. The four-run eighth inning, which included Paino’s three RBI triple, was the icing on the cake.

Jack Crighton was the only other Tigers player with two hits in the contest, as he went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

The Tigers went with a long list of pitchers on Tuesday, led by Talan Bell, who started and went three innings but didn’t get the decision. He was sharp, as he allowed two hits and no runs. He struck out one and walked one and lowered his ERA this season to 2.25.

Right-hander Joe Allen (3-0) ended up with the victory. He was the third reliever in the game, and he pitched 1.2 innings of relief, giving up two hits and two runs (one earned). He struck out two and walked one. But he held onto the lead after the fifth inning.

Lucas Mahlstedt continued his impressive season by pitching the final two outs and recording his ninth save of the campaign. He faced four hitters, giving up one hit and striking out one hitter.