Justin LeGuernic Shoves as Clemson Sweeps Baseball Invitational
- Charles Mays
- Feb 23
- 4 min read
The Clemson Tigers faced off against the NC A&T Aggies for the second time this weekend in the Clemson Baseball Invitational. Clemson held onto a close one, 4-2, as Justin LeGuernic dominated the Aggies lineup. Clemson moves to 6-1 on the young season, while the Aggies fall to 2-3. Dominic Listi’s RBI double in the bottom of the seventh inning was enough to give the Tigers a close win. Joe Allen was awarded the win for Clemson, his first of the season. Gavin Sentell picked up the loss for NC A&T, his first of the season.
Strong Start for Justin LeGuernic
After only pitching 1.2 innings against Ole Miss last Sunday, Justin LeGuernic got off to a much better start in this one. The sophomore made quick work of the Aggies offense, shutting out NC A&T through the first two innings of play. In the first inning, LeGuernic got into trouble after allowing a hit-by-pitch and a walk to get runners on first and second for the dangerous Kristian Amaro. But the Tigers lefty induced a 4-3 double play to end the inning. He would follow that double play up by retiring the side in the second frame.
Clemson Bats Come Alive
In the second inning, Collin Priest singled to get a rally going for the Tigers. Jay Dillard and Tristan Bissetta followed up Priest’s single by loading the bases for Jarren Purify. The sophomore from Detroit, Michigan, came through with a sacrifice fly into right field to put the Tigers on the board. Tryston McCladdie would keep the runs coming in the third inning after his shot over the center field wall gave the Tigers just their second home run of the season and a 2-0 lead over the Aggies.
LeGuernic Continues to Cruise
After a strong start to this game, LeGuernic continued to dominate the Aggies. Through six innings, the Tigers sophomore was rolling. He allowed only one hit, a double in the fourth inning to Tyler Smith while striking out six batters. LeGuernic’s six strikeouts are the most in a single game in his young career. Just last Sunday, LeGuernic couldn’t finish two innings against Ole Miss, but in today’s game, the New York native proved he could be Erik Bakich’s Sunday starter this season.
Tigers Offense Goes Quiet
After Tryston McCladdie’s solo bomb in the bottom of the third inning, the Clemson offense went silent. Heading into the seventh inning, the Tigers had been shutout from the fourth inning on, unable to muster up a single base runner in those three frames. Besides their blowout against Arizona in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown, Clemson has struggled to find production from their lineup to start the season. Star players like Cam Cannarella, Tristan Bissetta, and Collin Priest have not yet been able to come through for the Tigers, which has contributed to the team’s offensive struggles.
Aggies Break Through in Seventh
In the top of the seventh frame, NC A&T was able to tie the score at two apiece after Enrique Wood’s two-run double. Hudson Lee started the inning on the mound, coming in for the dominant Justin LeGuernic. But after a two-out error by Jay Dillard extended the inning, Erik Bakich decided to bring in Chance Fitzgerald to get out of the jam. The sophomore from Sanford, Florida, could not end the inning as Enrique Wood knotted the score to put some pressure on the Clemson offense.
Clemson Takes the Lead Right Back
Just a few minutes after surrendering the lead to the Aggies, the Tigers took it right back. The inning started with Andrew Ciufo putting his body on the line and taking a hit-by-pitch to get the bats going and bring up the dangerous Dominic Listi. The transfer from Indiana State did not disappoint, lacing a double into left field to bring home Ciufo and give the Tigers lead the right back. In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Tigers could extend their lead after Jarren Purify’s sac fly put them up 4-2.
Key Takeaways
Clemson Offense: Even though the Tigers offense was supposed to be the bright spot of this team, they have struggled to start the season. Part of their struggles are on the shoulders of Clemson’s star player, Cam Cannarella. Coming into today’s game, the Junior from Hartsville, South Carolina, had a .286 batting average and a .777 OPS, which is not good enough for a player of Cannarella’s caliber.
Justin LeGuernic: Coming into today’s game, there were concerns over whether or not LeGuernic could be the Sunday starter for the Tigers, but he showed how good he can be today. The Tigers sophomore went six innings, allowing just one hit. His six strikeouts in today’s affair set a career-high for the New York native. If LeGuernic can continue to pitch how he did today, he will surely be Erik Bakich’s Sunday starter for the rest of the season.
Up Next: The Clemson Tigers will face Winthrop at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, February 25, at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
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