CLEMSON, S.C. – The Bryant baseball team brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the eighth inning but that was as close as it would get as the Bulldogs fell to No. 19 Clemson, 5-3, on Saturday afternoon at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
 
With the loss, the Bulldogs dropped the series with the Tigers and fall to 2-3 on the year. Bryant and Clemson wrap up their series on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
 
Clemson scored twice in the first and two more times in the third to build a 4-0 lead but the Bulldogs stuck around thanks to another great performance from the bullpen. Bryant eventually rallied in the eighth, cutting the deficit to 5-3 on an RBI ground out and an RBI triple from Ellis Garcia. Clemson's Danny Nelson, however, retired the final five batters to close the door.
 
Garcia went 2-for-3 with an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base, while Charlie Saul and Gavin Greger each drove in a run.
 
Dylan Scudder made his second start and allowed four runs on seven hits over 2.2 innings. Three relievers combined to limit Clemson to one run on four hits over the final 5.1 innings.
 
Game Information
No. 19 Clemson 5, Bryant 3
Records: Bryant 2-3 | No. 19 Clemson 6-0
Location: Doug Kingsmore Stadium (Clemson, S.C.)
W|L|S: Sharman (2-0) | Dylan Scudder (0-1) | Nelson (1)
 
Key Moment

• Nelson struck out back-to-back batters with an man on third in the top of the eighth.

How it Happened

• Clemson plated four runs in the first three innings on Saturday. In the first, two singles and a double steal setup a two-run opposite field single for Gaffney.
• The Tigers pushed the lead to 4-0 as Jarrell hit his second home run of the series, a two-run shot, in the third.
• Bryant didn't produce a baserunner until Garcia singled to right field with two outs in the fourth. He then stole second and took third as the throw went into center. Saul followed with a single that went right over the third base bag to bring home Garcia.
• Clemson answered in the bottom of the fourth on a two-out opposite field single from Dalley.
• Bryant's bullpen would quiet the Tigers from there as Justin Dressler, Aidan Vining and Tommy Flaherty combined to retire 13 of the final 15 Clemson batters.
• The Black and Gold offense then came to life in the eighth as Justin Hackett led off with a single through the left side and Zac Zyons followed with a double to right center. Greger plated Hackett with a ground ball to second and Garcia followed with a drive to right that hit the top of the wall and caromed away from the outfielder, allowing Garcia to slide into third with a triple.
• Nelson, who entered to face Garcia, bounced back to strikeout the next two batters and then retired the Bulldogs in order in the ninth.

Inside the Box Score

• Clemson outhit Bryant, 11-5.
• The Bulldogs struck out 12 times on the afternoon.
• Scudder suffered the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits over 2.2 innings. He walked one and struck out one.
• Dressler allowed one run on two hits, walked one and struck out one in 1.2 innings.
• Vining tossed 2.2 scoreless innings of relief, retiring eight of the nine batters he faced.
• Flaherty notched a scoreless eighth inning.
• Garcia went 2-for-3 with a walk, a triple, an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base.
• Saul and Greger each drove in a run.
• Zyons collected a double.

Game Notes

• Bryant is now 0-2 all-time against Clemson.
• Of Bryant's six runs in the series, four have come in the seventh inning or later.
• Bryant has now stolen 12 bases through the first five games of the season.
• Saul now leads the team with eight RBI on the year.
• Vining picked up two strikeouts and now has 313 in his collegiate career, the most of any active pitcher in college baseball.
• Garcia collected the first triple of his collegiate career in his 132^nd career game.
• Garcia also posted his second multi-hit game of the year and the 19^th of his career.
• Zyons' double was the 33^rd of his Bryant career.

Up Next
Bryant and Clemson wrap up their series on Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch.