Gamecocks end Tigers' Season

Catcher Kyle Wilkie waits for play to resume, as the Tigers made a pitching change

OXFORD, Miss.--For the fourth straight season the Clemson Tiger baseball team failed to advance out of the regional round of the NCAA Tournament--as the No. 3-seeded Tigers fell to the No. 4 seed, Jacksonville State Gamecocks, Sunday in an elimination game at the Oxford Regional and ended the Tigers' 2019 season.

A day after they picked up their first win in school history in the NCAA Tournament, the Gamecocks continued their winning ways with a resounding 9-2 victory over the third-seeded Tigers and advanced to the championship round of the tournament against the No. 1 seed Ole Miss Rebels.

The starting pitching continued to plague the Tigers, as Brooks Crawford struggled beginning in the second inning when the Gamecocks erupted for four runs on four hits- including a three-run home run by Tre Kirkli--and opened up a 4-0 lead on the Tigers.

The Tigers cut the Gamecock lead in half in the bottomg of the second, as Kyle Wilkie connected for his sixth home run of the season and a double by Bryar Hawkins was plated on Bryce Teodosio's RBI single that cut the lead to 4-2.

Kyle Wilkie answers with a leadoff homer in the second inning! 4-1 JSU. pic.twitter.com/yXpFyXHLsZ

— Clemson Baseball (@ClemsonBaseball) June 2, 2019

After the Tigers retired the Gamecocks without allowing a run in the top of the third inning, the Tigers had an opportunity to tie the game or take the lead.

 A walk and back-to-back singles by Wilkie and Hawkins loaded the bases, but the Tigers were unable to capitalize after Sam Hall lined into a double play that ended the threat.

Back-to-back singles by the Gamecocks in the top of the fifth inning ended the day for Crawford, who went four innings, allowed seven hits and four runs, as the Tigers' went to reliever Owen Griffith.

Griffith hit the first batter he faced to load the bases, the Gamecocks added to their lead after a fielder's choice plated the fifth run of the game. After Griffith walked next batter to load the bases, Lee once again made the call to the bullpen for the Tigers' third pitcher of the inning--Carson Spiers.

Spiers also struggled to find the strike zone, as he walked the first batter he faced and the Gamecocks added a run to their lead.

The Tigers put runners on second and third in the bottom of the fifth with two outs, but were once again unable to come up with a big hit--as Hall lined out to left field to end the threat.

The Gamecocks added to their lead in the seventh inning. After Spiers gave up a single, three walks and a wild pitch that plated the seventh run of the game, the Tigers turned to Jacob Hennessy, who started Game 1 of the regional, to get out oft he jam.

But after a strikeout for the first out of the inning, a fielder's choice plated the eighth run of the game.

In the bottom of the seventh, following a walk and back-to-back hit batters, the Tigers had bases loaded for the second time in the game. And for the second time in the game, the Tigers were unable to come up with a big hit, as Jordan Greene struck out to end the inning.

The Gamecocks added an insurance run in the top of the eighth that extended the lead to 9-2.

Crawford took the loss for the Tigers. Dylan Hathcock earned the win for the Gamecocks. 

Tiger Tracks:

 The Tigers played in their 44th all-time NCAA regional in the 2019 Oxford Regional. 

• The 44 appearances are fifth most in NCAA history, trailing only Texas (59), Florida State (57), Miami (Fla.) (46) and Oklahoma State (45).

• Clemson has been to the NCAA Tournament every year since 1987 except one (2008), or 32 of the last 33 years (including 2019).