Clemson drops opener to Bama, faces elmination

CLEMSON, S.C. -- Jake Smith got Alabama started then made sure the Crimson Tide held on for a 5-4 victory over Clemson in Saturday night's opening game of the NCAA Clemson Super Regional.

Smith launched a long home run in the second inning to give the Tide (42-23) an early lead.

After the Tigers (41-23) cut a 5-0 deficit to one run, Smith moved over from third base and got the last six outs for his sixth save. Smith got out of the eighth with help from a double play. He retired three straight Tiger hitters in the ninth, the first two with strikeouts.

``It's not a big deal,'' said Smith, who took over on the mound after Wilson Boyd opened the Clemson eighth with a single. ``I just come in and throw strikes.''

Game 2 of the best-of-three series is Sunday night.

Jimmy Nelson (8-3) pitched 6 2/3 innings for the victory. Nelson gave up nine hits and five walks, but managed to keep the early lead. He escaped the fifth with a double play with the bases loaded.

``Just about every time I was about to go get him, he throws a good slider or gets a good fastball in there,'' said Alabama coach Mitch Gaspard.

Jonathan Smart came in to get the final out in a bases-loaded jam in the seventh.

Alabama played error-free for the fourth straight game and won for the 13th time in 15 games. ``The strength of our ball club is the infield play,'' Gaspard said.

Clemson starter Casey Harman (7-3) took the loss despite allowing only one earned run while striking out nine without a walk. Harman's only earned run came when he left a change-up over the plate that Smith ripped far over the left-field wall.

``That's about as good as I can hit one,'' said Smith of his 14th homer of the season.

Alabama took advantage of two Clemson errors in the third to score four unearned runs with two outs. With the bases loaded, Clemson third baseman John Hinson booted a grounder, allowing one run to score. Andrew Miller followed with a two-run single and Brett Booth drove in the other run with a single.
Earlier in the inning, Harman mishandled a bunt, allowing Josh Rutledge to reach base and eventually score.

``The whole key to that game was the third inning,'' Clemson coach Jack Leggett said.

The Tigers came back with three in the bottom of the inning on RBI singles from Mike Freeman, Jeff Schaus and Brad Miller. The Tigers cut the Tide lead to 5-4 in the sixth when pinch-hitter Chris Epps drove in Wilson Boyd with a two-out triple.

Clemson put two runners on base in the eighth, but Smith got Freeman to hit into an inning-ending double play.

Leadoff hitter Taylor Dugas had four hits for the Tide. Jeff Schaus had three for the Tigers.

Clemson is 6-10 in one-run games this season.

On Sunday, Clemson is scheduled to start right-hander Scott Weismann (7-2) against Alabama lefty Adam Morgan (7-4).