Clemson vs Alabama - NCAA Super Regionals Game 3 Recap

Clemson 8, Alabama 6 - Tigers win series, 2-1; Clemson advances to 2010 College World Series

It’s stitched in the back of each Clemson cap – the goal of every NCAA Division One baseball team. 

Omaha. 

After Clemson started the season 17-2, the Tigers looked well on their way, but they dropped 15 of their next 23 games – losing 4 of 5 ACC series along the way. At 25-17, the College World Series was a far-off dream for a team mired in the middle of the ACC pack.  

Then, the Clemson bats came alive. 

The Tigers’ hitters led them to an NCAA regional championship at Auburn with three double-digit-run performances, including the 13-7 clincher over the SEC’s Tigers from Auburn, setting up a home NCAA Super Regional and placing Clemson just two wins away from its guiding goal.  

The Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide split the first two games of their weekend duel ( Alabama winning 5-4 Saturday; Clemson taking a 19-5 blowout Sunday) to set up Monday’s winner-take-all tussle. Clemson completed its improbable late-season run with an 8-6 victory to punch its ticket to Omaha, but not without some theatrics.

Bringing an 8-1 lead into the ninth inning, no one saw a ferocious Alabama rally coming.

> Check out a great selection of Clemson Tigers Apparel & Merchandise & be sure to follow the 2010 College World Series with DFN Sports Sites!

Clemson righty Kevin Brady came in to shut down the Tide and bring his team to Omaha, but the freshman came in with far too much adrenaline running through his veins. He sailed the first four pitches he threw for a walk to begin the ninth. Brady settled down and threw strikes in the process of inducing a fly-out and a strikeout to put the Tigers one out from the College World Series. Alabama designated hitter Brett Booth stepped up to the plate 0 for 3 on the day, but he took Brady’s second pitch over the right field wall at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina, to get Alabama within five runs of tying the score. A crowd of over 5,000 Clemson fans waited for Brady to settle down and get that elusive last out. 

He never did. 

Three straight Alabama singles came next to load the bases and bring the hook for Brady in favor of senior reliever Tomas Cruz – who did anything but cruise. The Clemson reliever walked the next run in to make the score 8-4 and bring the Tide’s tying run to the plate in the form of its leading home run hitter, first baseman Clay Jones. Jones worked a full count from Cruz before knocking a hard grounder for the sure third out to shortstop Brad Miller... or so it seemed. In a Bill Buckner-like moment, the ball went right between Miller's legs and scored two more Alabama runs to bring the winning run to the plate in third basemen Jake Smith. Smith hit a home run in each of the first two games of the series, and his bat brought another pitching change in favor of the lanky Clemson lefty Will Lamb.

With a base open at first in an 8-6 game, conventional wisdom might have been to pitch around Smith, but Clemson coach Jack Leggett sent Lamb right after Smith because he didn't want the go-ahead run on base. The move paid off. After a first-pitch strike and two balls, Lamb’s next delivery was lifted high to left field. With an entire stadium holding its breath, Tigers leftfielder Jeff Schaus made the catch for the final out and sprinted to the dog-pile at the mound. 

In accordance with a longstanding tradition, the postseason win in Clemson's last home game was marked by a ritual sprint. The Tigers ran out to the right field stands (called the “Cheap Seats” that reside on top of a bus stationed at the foul pole) and received the customary shower of various drinks before they took a lap around the field before a raucous crowd.   

This is Clemson’s 12th trip to the College World Series and Leggett’s sixth in 17 years as the Tigers’ coach. The Tigers will take on number-one national seed Arizona State (52-8) next weekend in a revenge match; the Sun Devils swept Clemson out of last year’s NCAA Tournament Super Regionals in Tempe, Arizona. 

In order to play Arizona State in the first place, Clemson needed to beat back Bama. Freshman Clemson righthander Dominic Leone dominated the Crimson Tide for 5 2/3 innings with only three hits and one earned run allowed and three strikeouts. Clemson righty reliever Alex Frederick held the Tigers' lead with only 1 hit allowed in 2 1/3 innings of work. Lamb got the elusive third out in the ninth to prevent a total Clemson collapse. The show of stones on the hill will forever secure his place in Tigers’ baseball lore as his team continues play into Omaha.

By: Brandon Rink
DFN Sports Guest Writer