COLUMBIA, S.C. — Freshman lefthander Ethan Darden pitched 5.0 effective innings with a career-high seven strikeouts to lead Clemson to a 10-3 victory over College of Charleston at Segra Park on Tuesday night. The Tigers, who won both games of the season series, improved to 16-10, while the Cougars dropped to 16-8.
Darden (1-1) earned his first career win, as he surrendered seven hits (all singles), one run and two walks. Cougar starter Connor Campbell (1-1) suffered the loss, as he gave up three runs on two hits in 2.2 innings pitched.
After the Cougars scored a run in the second inning, Clemson scored four runs in the third inning, highlighted by run-scoring singles by Cam Cannarella, Will Taylor and Blake Wright. The Tigers added two more runs in the fourth inning on Taylor’s two-out single. Cannarella’s infield single scored a run in the top of the sixth inning, then Caden Grice ripped a two-out, run-scoring triple later in the frame to extend Clemson’s lead to 8-1.
The Cougars scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning after an error, but Nick Hoffmann struck out two batters with the bases loaded to end the inning. The Tigers added two runs in the ninth inning, highlighted by Grice’s long opposite-field home run, his sixth of the year and fifth in the last six games, to lead off the frame.
The Tigers host No. 2 Wake Forest at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in a three-game series, beginning Thursday at 7 p.m.