Clemson vs Alabama - NCAA Super Regionals Game 1 Recap

Alabama 5, Clemson 4 - Crimson Tide lead series, 1-0

The Clemson Tigers missed rally opportunity after rally opportunity en route to a wrenching one-run loss at the hands of the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday night. The Tigers are now bereft of any margin for error in their home-field super regional series. 

After Alabama took a commanding 5-0 lead in the third inning, Clemson chipped away inning by inning, but could not come through with timely hitting in the late stages of this nail-biter.  

The Tigers posted three runs in the third inning to cut Alabama’s lead to two runs; after that, Clemson’s nightmare began at the plate. 

In the fifth, Clemson second baseman Mike Freeman knocked through a one-out base hit to kick off a potentially big inning. Tigers leftfielder Jeff Schaus tapped a ball between Crimson Tide pitcher Jimmy Nelson, catcher Brock Bennett, and third baseman Jake Smith down the third base line to reach base on an infield single. A wild pitch moved Schaus - the tying run - to second base, and then a nervous Nelson walked the 2010 MLB Draft first-rounder,

Clemson rightfielder Kyle Parker. The bases were loaded and the home team seemed poised to tie the game at the very least. 

Then, it struck – the mysterious force that plagued Clemson batters throughout Saturday night in the Palmetto State.  

On the very first delivery by Nelson, Clemson shortstop Brad Miller grounded into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play. That set the tone for future frames in this battle of SEC and ACC stalwarts. 

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In the sixth inning, Clemson coach Jack Leggett found a spark with pinch-hitter Chris Epps on a RBI triple to draw the Tigers within a run of Alabama at 5-4, but Epps was stranded on third when Clemson designated hitter Will Lamb tapped a feeble come-backer to Nelson for an easy third out.  

The bad luck continued for the Tigers in the seventh inning. Nelson worked into two-out trouble with a hit and two walks to load the bases for Clemson first baseman Richie Shaffer. The Crimson Tide took out Nelson for lefthander Jonathan Smart in order to face the right-handed bat of Shaffer. On a 1-1 count, Smart enticed Shaffer with a high pitch that the Clemson batter sailed harmlessly to right field to end the home team's threat. Bama maintained its 5-4 edge after seven. 

The sad song played into the eighth inning with the tying run on second base and the go-ahead run on first for Freeman, the same man who was stranded on third in the bottom of the fifth. The Tide’s closer, Jake smith, who started at third base and hit a solo home run earlier in the game, dialed up another momentum-crushing double play - second to short to first - to snuff out Clemson's last substantial attempt at a rally. 

Alabama got a decidedly rare 1-2-3 inning in the ninth, but not without some drama. Leading off the inning for Clemson, Schaus struck out looking on a pitch on the outside corner. He vehemently disagreed with the call and threw down his bat to jaw with the umpire, bringing an ejection. Parker came to bat next and struck out looking on a pitch even farther away on the outside corner, but Parker just shook his head and walked back to the dugout. After a bit of a battle at the plate, Smith retired the fifth-inning double-play victim - Miller - on a grounder to complete the two-inning save.

Alabama can clinch a trip to Omaha for the College World Series at 7 p.m. Eastern on Sunday. The Tide will be the home team on Clemson’s field. They will throw lefthander Adam Morgan (7-4, 5.52 ERA), while the Tigers counter with righty Scott Weismann (7-2, 5.13 ERA) as they try to force a winner-take-all game on Monday.

By: Brandon Rink
DFN Sports Guest Writer