Tigers survive

CLEMSON - Tennessee Tech's Cinderella run through the postseason finally came to an end Sunday.

The Ohio Valley Tournament Champions, who ended No. 2 seed Alabama’s season Saturday, ran into a Clemson team that finally got out of its hitting slump as the top-seeded Tigers recorded 14 hits, including five extra base hits in a 10-0 victory in the Clemson Regional.

“We got some good hits and we played good defense,” Clemson coach Jack Leggett said. “We got three double plays in the first three innings and that was nice. The bats were alive today and we made some good adjustments to the left hand-pitcher and then to the right-hander.

Tennessee Tech ends its season at 31-24-1. It was Clemson first shutout in a regional since 2005, when pitcher Josh Cribb shutout the College of Charleston in the Clemson Regional.

With plenty of run support, Clemson starter Scott Weismann was masterful on the mound. The true freshman gave up just four hits in eight innings of scoreless pitching, while striking out two batters. He kept the Golden Eagles off balance all afternoon and allowed no more than one base runner in any inning.

“Today I was focused more on getting contact and getting outs rather than in a relief situation when you try to strike people out,” Weismann said. “When you know that you are going to go a long time, you save the picthes.”

Leggett said after last night’s loss to Oklahoma State that he planned to start Chris Dwyer, but after sitting and talking it through with pitching coach Kyle Bunn, Leggett decided to go with Weismann.

Dating back to the N.C. State series earlier this, Clemson had managed no more than five runs in any game. But Sunday was almost like it was batting practice as the Tigers (42-20) had more than 10 hits, including two home runs and three doubles in the first five innings.

Clemson will now face Oklahoma State in the championship bracket tonight starting at 7:06 p.m. If the Tigers should win, they will force a winner-take all game Monday night at 7 p.m. Oklahoma State just needs a win tonight to advance to its first Super Regional since 1999.

The Tigers will start Dwyer against Oklahoma State. The lefty is 4-5 with a 5.30 ERA. The Cowboys will counter with righty Tyler Blandford. He has a 7-3 overall record with a 4.83 ERA.

Clemson got on the board in the bottom of the first against Tennessee Tech when Jeff Schaus dropped a base hit just between the Tennessee Tech second baseman and the right fielder, scoring Chris Epps, who led off the inning with a drawn walk.

The Tigers upped the lead in the third inning to 5-0 as they batted around and got a two-run home run from Ben Paulsen, doubles from Jason Stolz and Schaus and RBIs from Epps and Mike Freeman.

Epps added a solo home run to right field for his second RBI in the fifth inning and then Freeman doubled and scored when Paulsen added his third RBI of the game with a single to right. Wilson Boyd then followed with a base knock to right, scoring Schaus who had earlier walked.