Gators take game one, push Tigers' season to the brink (2024)

CLEMSON – A wild fifth inning that saw Florida’s offense come to life and score seven runs doomed Clemson in a 10-7 loss in game one of its Super Regional Saturday afternoon at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

Clemson jumped out to a 4-2 lead, but things went awry during Tristan Smith’s third time through the order. Smith took the loss and fell to 2-1 on the season.

Florida, who won the Oklahoma State Regional last weekend, improved to 33-28, while Clemson fell to 44-15 on the season.

The Tigers will play for their lives at 2:30 on Sunday afternoon (ESPN). Clemson freshman Aidan Knaak will face Florida's two-way star Jac Caglianone.

Alden Mathes led off the bottom of the first with a hard-hit single up the middle. After getting Jacob Hinderleider to strike out, Florida starter Liam Peterson struggled to consistently find the strike zone as we walked two of the three next batters. Mathes scored on a wild pitch that went over the head of the catcher. Tristan Bissetta walked to reload the bases and another walk to Jack Crighton plated Blake Wright for an early 2-0 Clemson lead.

Jarren Purify turned a shallow pop-up down the right field line into a triple as the ball fell just out of the right of the right fielder and scored with an emphatic slide on a wild pitch. After a single to left by Mathes, Peterson’s day was done.

Peterson faced ten batters in one inning of work and gave up three runs on three hits. He walked four, struck out two and threw two wild pitches that allowed runs to score. He threw 53 total pitches – 26 strikes.

Florida got its first run of the game in the top half of the third inning. After getting a quick out, Smith walked Cade Kurland on seven pitches and then gave up a long single to Caglianone to put runners on the corners with just one out. Ashton Wilson flew out to right, but it was deep enough to score the run and cut Clemson’s lead to 3-1.

Jimmy Obertop answered the Gators with a home run over the Chapman Grandstands to make it a 4-1 Tiger advantage. It was Obertop’s 21st homer of the season.

Tyler Shelnut hit a homer – his 15th of the year – that cleared the call in front of the jumbotron to make it a two-run game at 4-2 in the fourth inning.

Clemson starter Tristan Smith went out in the fifth inning to face Florida’s lineup for a third time, walked the leadoff batter, and gave up a single to put runners on first and third with nobody out and Caglianone coming up. The junior launched his 31st homer of the season to give Florida its first lead of the game at 5-4. Lucas Mahlstedt came on to pitch with the bases clear and no one out.

Smith gave up five runs on five hits in four innings of work. He struck out four, walked three and threw 81 total pitches (53 strikes).

The inning continued to spiral as Mahlstedt walked the first two batters he faced and then gave up a single to plate another runner. Mahlstedt’s day was quickly over as he gave way to Reed Garris with Florida up 6-4, runners on second and third and nobody out.

Garris got the first out of the inning with a pop-up in foul territory and then induced a ground ball that looked like Purify would be able to throw out the runner at home, but he airmailed it wide, allowing the run to score. A sacrifice bunt and single to left plated two more runs for a total of seven runs and a 9-4 Florida lead in the fifth inning.

Bissetta cut the Gators’ lead to just four at 9-5 with a solo shot to right field with one out in the fifth. It was the Greenville native’s seventh long ball of the season.

Purify walked to lead off Clemson’s half of the sixth inning, and Mathes followed with a single to left to put runners at second and third with nobody out. Hinderleider hit a long fly ball to right to plate Purify and advance Mathes to third, who scored on a groundball out to make it a 9-7 Florida advantage after six innings.

Florida added a run in the ninth on a solo shot by Luke Heyman.

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