Charlotte eliminates Clemson from NCAA Tournament, ends Tigers’ season
Clemson became the third top seed in an NCAA Regional to get sent packing on Sunday as the Tigers lost the early game to third-seeded Charlotte, 3-2, at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
Clemson (44-19) came into the NCAA Tournament with high hopes as the ACC champion and a national seed, but the Tigers failed to advance out of a regional for the 10th consecutive appearance.
Charlotte (35-27) advances to face two-seed Tennessee in a 6 p.m. game needing to win to push the regional into a Monday elimination game.
The Tigers, who lost a heartbreaker 6-5 in 14 innings to Vols on Saturday night, joined Auburn and Oklahoma State as early-exit No. 1 seeds, and they became the second national seed, along with the Cowboys, to be eliminated.
Clemson also is just the third top seed in a regional in the last five years to lose to a third or fourth seed in the first Sunday elimination game.
Clemson led Charlotte 2-0 after the second inning. Once the 49ers went to the bullpen, the sluggish Tigers went ice cold, recording four hits and striking out 11 times in the final seven innings.
The 49ers got on the board with a run in the third without getting a base knock, and Clemson took a no-hitter into the seventh before a solo shot by Will Butcher tied the game. Charlotte scratched across another run on Jack Dragum’s RBI single to take the lead for good.
Clemson Regional Schedule, Scores
Friday, June 2
Game 1 – (1) Clemson 12, (4) Lipscomb 5
Game 2 – (2) Tennessee 8, (3) Charlotte 1
Saturday, June 3
Game 3 – Charlotte 9, Lipscomb 2
Game 4 – Tennessee 6, Clemson 5
Sunday, June 4
Game 5 – Charlotte 3, Clemson 2
Game 6 – Tennessee vs. Charlotte (TV: ESPN plus)
Monday, June 5
Game 7 – (if necessary): Rematch Game 6 (TV TBA)
