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CLEMSON – Clemson baseball held its season opener against the South Alabama Jaguars on Friday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

Pitching and defensive play held the Jaguars to two runs, while two home runs by Logan Davidson and Michael Green propelled the Tigers to a 6-2 victory.

“Our defense and pitching were outstanding,” said Clemson coach Monte Lee.

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Right-hander Brooks Crawford was given the start on the mound for the Tigers. Crawford went 4 2/3 innings pitched while giving up four hits, two earned runs and collecting one strikeout. Crawford retired the first 10 batters he faced before giving up back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning to give the Jaguars a 2-0 lead.

“Brooks kept powering through after the two home runs,” Lee said. “We don’t play to the scoreboard. We’re going to compete on every pitch and accept the challenge to get the tying and winning runs to the plate.”

Crawford was relieved by Mat Clark, who recorded the win after throwing three innings and tallying three hits and four strikeouts. With inclement weather anticipated Sunday, the teams are scheduled to play Games 2 and 3 on Saturday.

“Clark’s performance was very important," Lee said. "We needed to be able to stretch Clark out with the doubleheader tomorrow.”

The Tigers offense was shut down by South Alabama’s starting pitcher Drake Nightengale through the first four innings. Nightengale surrendered just one hit and recorded six strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings pitched.

After 89 pitches, Nightengale’s day was done. He was replaced by Jared Proctor, who inherited a runner on first. Proctor walked the first batter he faced before Davidson came to the plate.

Davidson hit a three-run home run to left field that gave the Tigers the lead in the bottom of the fifth.

“Walking up to the plate I had a clear mindset," Davidson said. "I was thinking fastball and he gave me one right there."

Said Lee: “After we went down I told our team that good clubs find a way to get at least one run in the next inning and we got three. We never panicked. We knew it was only a matter of time before we got going.”

After the Davidson home run, the Tigers went hitless until newcomer centerfielder Michael Green came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh.

Green hit a solo shot to right center and pushed the Tigers' lead to 4-2.

“Michael Green was the best offensive player on the day for us,” said Lee. “Green is a tough kid, blue-collar player, the kind of guy we want to bring to Clemson. He comes to play every day and that’s why he's in the two hole.”

For Green, it was his first start for the Tigers since transferring from junior college.

“It was amazing, better than I could have ever imagined,” Green said.

With the bases loaded in the top of the eighth, Carson Spiers was called upon from the bullpen to get the four-out save. Spiers worked himself into a 2-2 count in the eighth before he forced South Alabama cleanup hitter Carter Perkins into a ground-out.

“I pitched to my strengths all night which is my fastball and my changeup and I had great defense behind me,” said Spiers.

Spiers would go on to retire the side in the ninth, striking out two.

Clemson would add two more insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth when leadoff man Sam Hall had a two-RBI single.

Game 2 is slated for 1 PM Saturday, and the finale is one hour thereafter. Freshmen Davis Sharpe and Justin Wrobleski will start from the mound for the Tigers.

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