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Clemson Regional Week
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Pirates' Omaha dream
not to be realized in 2002
<<< Box Score >>>
By PETE IACOBELLI
AP SPORTS WRITER
CLEMSON, SC (AP) — Zane Green got things going with a leadoff homer and
Clemson never stopped, powering to the NCAA regional title with a 21-1
victory against East Carolina on Sunday.
The Tigers (50-14) used their biggest inning in NCAA tournament history,
scoring 12 runs in the sixth, to end an emotional season for the Pirates
(43-20-1).
East Carolina took inspiration from watching its coach, Keith LeClair,
fight the incurable Lou Gehrig's disease. The team vowed to go as far as
they could on the way to the College World Series.
But beating the top-seeded Tigers proved too much to overcome.
Clemson will face Arkansas or Oral Roberts in the NCAA best-of-three
super regional here next weekend.
Green, a sophomore who hadn't hit a homer in two years until Friday's
15-1 victory over Georgia Southern, started with a home run to right.
An inning later, Clemson scored three times helped by an error by
Pirates center fielder Warren Gaspar, who let the ball slide past him on
Jarrod Schmidt's double. In Saturday's 4-2 Clemson win, Gaspar had
Schmidt's game-winning homer go off his glove.
By the time the Tigers sent 15 batters up in the sixth, they were
already ahead 8-1 and cruising behind freshman starter Tyler Lumsden
(4-1).
East Carolina senior Jason Mandryk (7-4) lasted only seven batters and
got the loss.
A few Pirate fans, irritated with the big lead on a sticky, sweltering
afternoon, began the Florida State war chant, needling Clemson's 0-5
mark this season against the No. 1 Seminoles. All that did was fire the
Tigers up even more.
Khalil Greene, the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year, opened
with his 91st career double after earlier extending his hitting streak
to 30 games. Eight more players came up before East Carolina got an out.
The biggest blows in the sixth were Michael Johnson's 21st homer, a
three-run shot to right. Schmidt followed two batters later with his
11th homer.
Clemson has won its last 10 NCAA tournament games at Doug Kingsmore
Stadium. Its previous big inning in the tournament was a 10-run inning
in a 22-4 victory against East Tennessee in 1980.
After the game, East Carolina, as it has all tournament, trooped to
LeClair's van in the first-base bullpen, where he's rooted on his team
this week.
Clemson coach Jack Leggett spoke with the Tigers, then also gave his
best wishes to LeClair. The two have been friends since LeClair played
for Leggett at Western Carolina. LeClair was the Southern Conference
tournament MVP in 1988 for Leggett.
Leggett helped raise $35,000 for LeClair's treatment.
<<< Box Score >>>
Copyright 2002
Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bonesville.net
contributed to this report.
02/23/2007 10:45 AM |
