Clemson Baseball: Tigers Baseball Defeats NC A&T in Game One of Doubleheader

Tryston McCladdie slides home during Clemson's battle with North Carolina A&T. (Photo By: Charles Mays/Tiger View Media)

The Clemson Tigers faced off against the NC A&T Aggies in the second game of the Clemson Baseball Invitational. Clemson took down NC A&T, 12-7, in a high-scoring affair that saw both starting pitchers leave the game early. A big first and third inning for the Tigers helped them take down the Aggies in a game that proved to be closer than Clemson would've liked. BJ Bailey picked up the win for the Tigers, his first of the season. Angel Ortiz picked up the loss for the Aggies, as his rough start cost NC A&T in this one. 

Tigers Get on the Board First

The Tigers pounced after Jacob McGovern struck out two batters in a scoreless top half of the first inning. The bottom of the first started with a base hit from Dominic Listi and a hit-by-pitch on Josh Paino to bring up the dangerous Cam Cannarella. The Tigers' star took advantage of the runner in scoring position by smacking a base hit the other way to bring home Listi. But Clemson wasn't done there; the Tigers would load the bases after Jack Crighton was hit by a pitch to bring up Tristan Bissetta. The junior from Greenville, South Carolina, drilled a base hit back up the middle to score Collin Priest and Josh Paino to give the Tigers an early three-run lead. 

Aggies Take the Lead with Big Third Frame

Clemson's strong start in the first inning was wiped away after a big third inning by the Aggies knocked Jacob McGovern out of the game. The inning started with a blast over the left field wall by Andrew Tinsley to get NC A&T on the board and cut the Tigers' lead to just two. But the Aggies wouldn't stop there, as Jacob McGovern loaded the bases for AJ Jones. The Aggies' third baseman didn't disappoint as he laced a base hit past the diving Tryston McCladdie to tie the score at three apiece. After Kristian Amaro's groundout to Andrew Ciufo gave NC A&T their first lead of the game, Jason Campo extended that lead with a base hit into left field to put the Aggies up by three, heading to the bottom of the third.

Tigers Respond Right Back

Cam Cannarella started Clemson's comeback as his single jump-started the Tigers' offense into gear. After Luke Gaffney's knock, Collin Priest cut the Aggies' lead down to just two with his single through the right side. Jack Crighton followed up that base knock with a sac fly to make it a 6-5 ball game in the bottom of the third. After Tryston McCladdie hustled out an infield single to load the bases, Dominic Listi's hit by pitch and Josh Paino's single gave the Tigers a one-run lead. But Clemson wasn't done there, with McCladdie taking advantage of a passed ball to score and extend the Tigers' lead to 8-6. 

NC A&T and Clemson Trade Runs in Fifth

NC A&T cut the Tigers' lead down to one after a wild pitch, and a double made it an 8-7 ballgame. The inning started with a walk to AJ Jones and a wild pitch by Nathan Dvorsky, forcing Erik Bakich to return to his bullpen and bring in the left-handed BJ Bailey. The first batter Bailey faced, Kristian Amaro, slapped a double down the right-field line to score Jones. But the Tigers fought right back in the bottom half of the inning, scoring a run of their own on a Tryston McCladdie RBI single to extend their lead. After a single by Andrew Ciufo and an error by the Aggies' pitcher put the New York native in scoring position, McCladdie cashed in. The Tigers could not get anything else in that inning after Cam Cannarella's bases-loaded, inning-ending double play.

Clemson Bats Come Alive in Eighth

Luke Gaffney started the bottom of the eighth inning off with a bang, parking a fastball into the left field seats to extend the Clemson lead to three. Surprisingly, that was Clemson's first home run of the season and Gaffney's first as a Tiger. The scoring did not stop there after a sac fly from Tryston McCladdie and heads-up baserunning by Jack Crighton led to two more runs for the Tigers. The game ended 12-7 after NC A&T was held scoreless in the ninth. 

Key Takeaways from Tigers Baseball

• Tryston McCladdie: Although he may not always get the love he deserves from Clemson fans, McCladdie showed what type of player he can be in today's game. The sophomore from Harlem, Georgia, had a monster game for the Tigers, going 3/4 with three singles, three stolen bases, and an RBI. Clemson needed his production from the bottom of the order to take down NC A&T in the first game of a two-game set today. 

• Starting Pitching Worries Continue for Tigers Baseball: Besides the obvious top two guys for Clemson, Aidan Knaak and Ethan Darden, there are still concerns over who can take over the third spot in the rotation. Jacob McGovern struggled today in his first start of the season, going only 2.1 innings and allowing five runs. Justin LeGuernic will get another shot to prove he is the guy for Erik Bakich after his disappointing start against Ole Miss last Sunday. 

• Home Run: The wait is finally over. After five games of baseball, the Clemson Tigers finally sent a ball over the wall. Not surprisingly, Luke Gaffney hit the first bomb of the season for the Tigers, as the transfer from Purdue hit 13 long balls for the Boilermakers last season as a freshman. The worries from fans that this team would never hit a home run can finally be put to rest. 

• Up Next: Clemson plays again today, with game time set for 4:00 PM against VCU, with Ethan Darden expected to be on the bump for the Tigers.