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By John Manuel
June 16, 2002

Jeff Baker Photo: Bob Libby

OMAHA--In two games this weekend, Clemson has proved two things.

It's the best-hitting team in the College World Series field, living up to its pre-tournament billing. And on the mound, junior righthander Matt Henrie is the Tigers' one true ace.

For the second straight game, Henrie--who made 17 starts and one relief appearance prior to the CWS--came out of the bullpen to bail out a shaky Clemson staff. He got the last seven outs as the Tigers made an eight-run second-inning explosion hold up, holding off Atlantic Coast Conference rival Georgia Tech 9-7.

The victory leaves Clemson as the event's first 2-0 team, waiting until Wednesday to meet the winner of Tuesday's South Carolina/Georgia Tech rematch. It's the first time a Clemson team has won its first two games in Omaha, and only the second time the Tigers have won twice here. The '96 club went 2-2. Though Clemson is just 9-18 all-time in the CWS, it is now 5-6 under coach Jack Leggett.

"I used to come out here and see Miami and teams like that go 2-0 and then have to wait, and I wondered if it was an advantage," Leggett said. "I thought maybe it could be a negative to not get out and play, but I don't feel it will have any negative effects. If you have a choice of going 2-0 and getting your pitchers some rest or having to play more often, it's a no-brainer."

It also doesn't take much to deduce Henrie has emerged as the Tigers' ace, finding himself in a role much like Stanford's Jeffrey Bruksch was last year. Bruksch had relieved earlier in his career before starting in 2001, then came to Omaha and found himself in the closer role, saving three games. Henrie, the team's wins and ERA leader at 13-4, 2.95, had two saves last year and picked up his first of the year Sunday, after getting the win in relief Friday against Nebraska.

"I wasn't sure of how I felt to start, so I talked to coach Leggett and (pitching coach Kevin) O'Sullivan, and we decided it was best not to start,"

Henrie said. "But I definitely said I'd be ready if they needed me (to relieve). I wasn't sure how long I could go, but I was going to go out for as long as the team needed me."

Henrie got the first four outs on nine pitches, then got ninth-inning help from Khalil Greene. With a runner at second after a fielder's choice and wild pitch, Eric Patterson lashed a line drive that Greene leaped to snare.

Henrie then leaped to snag Victor Menocal's grounder for the final out.

"We finally got Khalil out for once, and he probably saved the game with his glove," Georgia Tech coach Danny Hall said. "To Clemson's credit, it found a way to win it late."

Most of the Tigers' damage, though, was done early, with the biggest one-inning outburst of the series. The Tigers sent 13 batters to the plate during their eight-run second, which included seven hits, two walks and a hit batsman. It was the highest-scoring inning at the CWS since the Tigers put up an eight-spot against San Jose State, also in the second inning, in the first game of the 2000 Series.

Junior first baseman Michael Johnson got it started with a double to right off starting pitcher Chris Goodman, and Roberto Valiente reached on an infield hit. One out later, Kyle Frank singled to left to score Johnson, and a walk to Steve Pyzik loaded the bases. Ninth hitter David Slevin then singled to center to score two, making it 3-0.

Goodman struck out Zane Green, but then had to face the meat of the Clemson order. He walked Greene, loading the bases, and Jeff Baker made him pay, slamming a 1-2 pitch into the gap in left-center for a bases-clearing double. Though Goodman was done for the day, Clemson wasn't. Johnson greeted reliever Aaron Walker with his second double of the inning, and Valiente brought home the inning's eighth run with a double to right.

"That's the nature of their team," Hall said. "They're explosive. We got Khalil out, but Johnson killed us, and Baker had an awfully big hit." Goodman added, "I hit my spots but they hit 'em perfectly. Baker hit a 1-2 pitch, and it was supposed to be up and in, and that's where I threw it, and he just tomahawked it. I guess I just didn't make my pitches the way I needed to."

Georgia Tech, which had loaded the bases with no outs in the first but failed to score, immediately responded in the second against Tigers freshman starter Tyler Lumsden. Jason Perry led off the inning with his 12th homer, and three singles brought home another run. Tech rallied for three more in the third on consecutive hits by Matt Murton, Tyler Parker and Perry, plus a two-base, two-run throwing error by Jeff Baker. However, Lumsden struck out Jeremy Slayden with the bases loaded to end the threat with Clemson still leading by three.

"The first inning was crucial," Hall said. "If we had just put the ball in play we had a chance to take the early lead. Then in the second, we just couldn't get them out."

The Yellow Jackets kept chipping away, but had less success against Hahn, who ranks second on Clemson behind Henrie with a 3.19 ERA. A Menocal single, Murton double and Hahn's balk make it 8-6 in the sixth, but Clemson's Johnson answered with a solo homer in the top of the seventh, pushing the lead back to three.

And when Georgia Tech rallied again in the seventh--on a two-out single by Eric Patterson, who stole second and scored on Menocal's single--the Tigers called on Henrie, who retired Murton on a first-pitch fly to center to end the threat.

"I thought we really pitched well after the fourth inning," Leggett said.

"We really needed to put up some zeroes, and Hahn did that in the fourth and fifth."

About the only bad news for the Tigers was the end of Greene's 34-game hitting streak, which happened against a team he had battered all year. In four previous games, Greene was 10-for-14 with three homers against the Yellow Jackets.