Clemson tops Michigan St. 6-1 Wednesday

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GREENVILLE - Mike Freeman had a career high four hits and led #22 Clemson to a 6-1 victory over Michigan State in front of 5,058 fans at Fluor Field Wednesday. Clemson improves to 4-0 all-time at Fluor Field and swept the two game series with the Spartans. Clemson improved to 8-4 while Michigan State fell to 1-11.

Freeman, who went 4-for-4, led Clemson at the plate. Ben Paulsen and Wilson Boyd also each had two hits for the Tigers. Paulsen is now 11-for-17 (.647) with four doubles, one homer, eight runs, and eight RBIs in four career games at Fluor Field.

Graham Stoneburner (1-2) earned the win in relief for Clemson. He pitched 3.1 innings and allowed three hits with six strikeouts. Six Tiger pitchers combined for a season-high 14 strikeouts and held the Spartans hitless in 13 at-bats with runners on base in the contest. Spartan starter Kyle Corcoran (0-1) took the loss as he allowed five runs on seven hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

Clemson jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first. Freeman hit a one-out single on an 0-2 pitch and Paulsen followed with a double off the left-field wall. Boyd drove both runners in with a double to left field.

Jeff Schaus hit his team-leading third home run of the year in the fourth inning to extend Clemson's lead to 3-0.

Jason Stolz led off the fifth inning with a double, his first career extra-base hit. After a sacrifice bunt by Phil Pohl, Addison Johnson laid down a suicide squeeze bunt that scored Stolz. Follwing a Brad Miller walk and Freeman single, Paulsen and Boyd had back-to-back RBI singles to give Clemson a 6-0 lead.

Michigan State put a run on the board in the ninth inning. Jeff Holm had a one-out single, moved to second on a groundout, and scored on two wild pitches.

Four different Spartans accounted for the four Michigan State hits.

Clemson will return to action when it plays host to Wake Forest in a three-game series this weekend beginning Friday at 4:00 PM.

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