CLEMSON, S.C. - Gardner-Webb scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning and brought the tying run to the plate, but Clemson held on for a 7-5 victory at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
The Runnin' Bulldogs (17-20) lost their eighth in a row, but went down swinging with a late rally.
Trailing 7-1, pinch hitter Evan Hyett drew a walk to lead off the ninth and Brantley Smith belted a double to move Hyett over to third. Taylor Fisher reached on an error that allowed Hyett to score and trim the Tigers' lead to 7-2.
Collin Thacker stepped in as a pinch hitter and delivered a major blow, lacing a 2-1 pitch over the wall to the opposite field - down the right field line - to cut Clemson's lead to 7-5. Tigers' reliever Pat Krall came on to record the first two outs of the inning, but walked Chase Arrington to bring the tying run to the plate.
Krall got a hard grounder from Jacob Walker to end the game.
Clemson (20-18) took advantage of two costly errors in the bottom of the third to take a 4-0 lead. The Tigers scored all four with two outs in the frame, getting a two-run double from Steven Duggar and RBI singles from Tyler Krieger and Reed Rohlman for the early edge.
Gardner-Webb responded with two hits and a run in the fourth. Ryan Hodge outran an infield single to reach base and Matt Simmons doubled off the base of the wall in right center for an RBI hit that scored Hodge all the way from first.
The Tigers added another run in the bottom of the fourth and got RBI doubles from Rohlman and Chase Pinder in the fifth to extend the lead to 7-1.
Gardner-Webb's bullpen came through with three near-perfect innings of relief, with Ryan Boelter, Andrew Massey and Bradley Hallman halting the Tigers offense with only one hit allowed the rest of the way.
Jeremy Walker (1-3) took the loss, allowing three earned runs on nine hits in 5.0 innings pitched. He fanned one and walked two batters.
Six different Runnin' Bulldogs collected one hit each on a rainy, wet night in Clemson, S.C., with Thacker (1-for-1, HR, 3 RBI) delivering the biggest blow.
Clate Schmidt (1-1) picked up the win for the Tigers, allowing four hits and one run in 7.0 innings (three strikeouts). Krall worked the ninth for his second save of the season.
Clemson had 10 hits in the game, paced by Krieger (2-for-4, 2 runs, RBI) and Rohlman (2-for-2, run, 2 RBI).
The Runnin' Bulldogs will play a non-conference series at home this weekend, hosting Southern Conference foe VMI in a three-game set. The 'Dogs and Keydets will open the series on Friday at 6:00 pm in John Henry Moss Stadium/Bill Masters Field. The game will air live on The Big South Network (bigsouthsports.com).
