Monte Lee Looking for More Production From Bottom of Order In Rubber Game Against FSU

CLEMSON, S.C.- Clemson's four game winning streak came to an end on Saturday, as Florida State downed the Tigers 4-3.

It was a particularly tough loss, considering how well the team had been playing of late, and according to head coach Monte Lee, Clemson pitched well enough to come away with what would have been a series clinching win.

"Just a tough loss," Lee said. "Especially with the way that we pitched. I thought we pitched exceptionally well, Geoffrey Gilbert did a great job and I thought our bullpen did an outstanding job."

"I thought we pitched good enough to win the series today. I mean, I'm super proud of our pitching staff, we did a great job there."

The Tigers got back-to-back home runs from Blake Wright and Max Wagner in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead, and the score would remain that way until the fifth. Florida State would then plate three runs, two coming after a defensive miscue that saw pitcher Nick Hoffman, on in relief of Gilbert, fail to get his foot down on the first base bag on a ground ball to first, which would have ended the inning.

"We had the tough inning with the with the play at first base," Lee said. "Haven't had a chance to look at it yet and see exactly what happened, if he missed the bag. I'm not sure what happened. But obviously, it costs us two runs with two outs, and would've got out of that ending only given up one run. Cost us two runs."

The Tigers would tie it back up in the sixth, on another solo home run from Wagner, his seventh in the last five games. A solo shot from Florida State's James Tibbs would put the Seminoles right back up by a run in the seventh, and proved to be the difference in the game.

On the day, Clemson totaled seven hits off Seminole pitching, with six of those coming from spots two through five in the order. The bottom third was 1-16 in the game, and it's those spots in the lineup that Lee said the Tigers need more production from.

"We hit three solo homers and that's all we did offensively," Lee said. "Only struck out three times today, so it wasn't like we weren't moving the baseball, and we squared up a few balls, but the bottom line is we've got to get more production six through nine in the order. And that's the bottom line."

Against a team the caliber of Florida State, Lee said it's imperative that Clemson get more out of the bottom of the order, no matter who he decides to slot into those spots.

"I told the guys that after the game today, if six through nine can give us something offensively; on the days where we score a lot of runs, you know, we play nine innings of offense and not four and that's what we're going to have to do (Sunday). We need to be able to have more quality innings on offense than just when one through five in the order come up."

The two teams are set to do battle in the rubber game on Sunday and with Clemson in bad need of a second consecutive ACC series win. While the Tigers are currently No. 37 in the RPI, right now the team finds itself on the outside looking in when it comes to the ACC Tournament.

Lee knows his teams chances at a series win are much better when the bottom of the order is hitting at a more consistent level.

"We gotta get something out of six through nine in the order," Lee said. "We gotta be able to hit the ball the other way with two strikes and that's the bottom line. And that's what I challenged the guys after the game with. Whoever is six through nine in the order (Sunday), we need to get more out of you and more quality at-bats. One through fives doing their job and we're only playing five innings of offense right now in the game, like today. And when you face a pitching staff like Florida State's, you can't do that."

The Tigers' odds of winning the College World Series are currently +10000, according to FanDuel.

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