The Clemson Tigers saw their midweek momentum halted Tuesday night, falling 6–1 to Georgia Southern in North Augusta, S.C. The loss drops Clemson to 15–2 on the season and marks its first midweek defeat of the year.
Freshman right-hander Eston Simpson (3–1) took the loss for the Tigers after a difficult second inning, while Alex Mason earned the win in relief for the Eagles. Georgia Southern did all of its damage in one decisive frame, scoring all six runs in the top of the second.
Simpson struggled
with command early in the inning and exited with one out after walking in a run and allowing another to score on a wild pitch. Nate Dvorsky came on in relief and struck out the first batter he faced, but catcher Sean White followed with a grand slam to right field, pushing the Eagles out to a commanding 6–0 lead.
Clemson answered quickly in the bottom of the second when Tyler Lichtenberger launched a solo home run, but that proved to be the lone offensive highlight for the Tigers. Clemson left eight runners on base and did not seriously threaten again, with its first runner reaching second base not coming until the seventh inning.
Despite the early deficit, the Tiger bullpen was a bright spot, combining for 7.1 scoreless innings to keep the game within reach. Junior left-hander Noah Samol led the way with 3.1 gutsy innings, while Artison Veasey, Hayden Simmerson, Brendon Bennett, and Landon Fowler each contributed scoreless relief appearances.
Offensively, Lichtenberger and freshman Jason Fultz Jr. paced Clemson with two hits apiece.
The Tigers will look to bounce back Thursday night as they open ACC play at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, welcoming fourth-ranked Georgia Tech for a weekend series.
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