Leggett's gamble pays off for Tigers

  • Travis Sawchik
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  • Posted: Friday, June 3, 2011 12:01 a.m.
    UPDATED: Friday, March 23, 2012 5:19 p.m.
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CLEMSON – In the first postseason step in the road back to Omaha, Clemson coach Jack Leggett took a gamble by saving his ace Dominic Leone and throwing Scott Firth on Friday – Firth who had not started a game since April 23.

The move paid off as Firth responded with perhaps his best performance of the season, helping Clemson to an 11-1 win and advancing to a meeting with Coastal Carolina at 7 p.m. Saturday in the winners’ bracket. Firth saved the Clemson pitching staff for the rest of the regional by allowing just one run over six innings, allowing six hits one walk while striking out five. Firth threw 97 pitches.

Firth was backed by an offensive outburst in the early innings.

Clemson (42-18) nearly batted around in the first inning, keyed by two-out RBI hits from Jeff Schaus and Chris Epps.

Clemson added another run in the second against Sacred Heart (34-22) and broke open the game with John Hinson’s three-run home run in the third, a shot sailing over the Cajun Café beyond the right field fence.