Clemson gets to Arizona St ace, knocks off top-seeded Sun Devils 6-3 at College World Series

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Clemson tops Arizona St 6-3 at CWS

OMAHA, Neb. — Clemson became the first team to beat Arizona State ace Seth Blair with a 6-3 victory over the top-seeded Sun Devils in the College World Series on Monday.

The Tigers tagged Blair (12-1) for five runs on seven hits and five walks in 4 1/3 innings to advance to a winner’s bracket game against Oklahoma on Tuesday. The Sun Devils (53-8) meet South Carolina in an elimination game, also Tuesday.

Casey Harman pitched six strong innings for the Tigers, who continued their postseason surge. Clemson (44-23) came into the CWS averaging 11 runs and 15 hits in its last five games, and pounded 14 singles off Blair and three relievers. Every Clemson starter had at least one hit.

Blair walked four of the first 12 batters he faced. He left in the fifth inning after John Hinson’s RBI single put the Tigers up 3-1. He threw 110 pitches.

Harman (8-3) was relieved by Alex Frederick after ASU loaded the bases in the seventh. Drew Maggi’s RBI groundout cut Clemson’s lead to 6-3, but the threat ended when Zack MacPhee struck out.

Frederick retired the Sun Devils in order in the eighth and ninth for his third save.

Blair’s start was his shortest of the season other than a three-inning outing against BYU on May 10 when he was on a pitch count.

Arizona State came to Omaha having won 16 of 17 games in which the Pacific-10 pitcher of the year had started.

Brady Rodgers took over for Blair, and Richie Shaffer reached when left fielder Maggi lost the ball in the sun to score another run, and Wilson Boyd’s single made it 5-1.

Blair walked the bases full the first two innings. He escaped the first time when Brad Miller lined a ball at shortstop Deven Marrero, who stepped on second to double off Jeff Schaus.

The Tigers scored twice in the second on Spencer Kieboom’s infield single and when Boyd came around on Marrero’s bad relay throw on a double-play try.

In the third, Raoul Torrez doubled for ASU, took third on a wild pitch and then slid into home on Austin Barnes’ sacrifice fly.

Riccio Torrez extended his hitting streak to 26 games with his RBI single in the sixth.

The game was scheduled for Sunday night, but rain forced it to be postponed until Monday.