FULLERTON, Calif. \u2014 When a California reporter asked did the hot weather get to him late in Game 1 of the Fullerton Regional, Clemson pitcher Matthew Crownover just smiled a little bit.
\nThe weather in Southern California was in the mid-80s on Friday and there was no humid in the air. The weather was the least of Crownover\u2019s issues when he gave up three runs, including two home runs, in the seventh inning. He is used to pitching in the summer heat and humidity that comes with living in Georgia and South Carolina.
\nNo, the only thing that got to the Tigers\u2019 ace on Friday was No. 2 seed Arizona State.
\nThe Sun Devils hit three home runs overall on Crownover, as they rallied to beat No. 3 seed Clemson, 7-4, at Goodwin Field in Fullerton.
\n\u201cIt is great weather out here. There is no humidly. I can take weather like this all day,\u201d Crownover said. \u201cJust give them a lot of credit. They made some adjustments and when I made a mistake, they took advantage of it.
\n\u201cI made a lot of good pitches today, but I had two bad ones and bad ones count and they took advantage of them. You have to give them credit. They are a good team.\u201d
\nBefore Friday\u2019s regional, Crownover had allowed just three home runs all season. But he gave up a home run to Trever Allen in the bottom of the fifth inning, which barely cleared the foul pole in left field and then he gave up a two-run bomb to Joey Bielek, which gave Arizona a 3-2 lead at the time.
\nBrian Serven followed with a solo home run to left field on the next at-bat off the Clemson lefty. \u00a0Bielek\u2019s home run was just his third of the season, and like Allen\u2019s, it just barely cleared the wall in left-centerfield.
\n\u201cIt is what it is. They\u2019re a good team,\u201d Crownover said. \u201cThey took advantage of some mistakes. They all count the same whether they go 500 feet or 335. That was three runs right there.\u201d
\nUp to that point, Crownover had allowed just three hits in six innings and was cruising along. His pitch count was just in the 70s at the start of the seventh inning and he recorded his seventh strikeout to start the inning when he fanned designated hitter David Greer.
\nClemson (32-28) had a 2-1 lead at the time.
\nBut Allen was up next. Crownover wanted to make sure the right fielder did not beat him, again. So he tried to work around him and he gave up the one-out walk on four pitches \u2013 his first and only one of the game.
\n\u201cI was not too upset about that,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I got down 3-0 to the next guy, which is unacceptable. Then I go 3-1 and then a 3-1 fastball, and the guy hits it. Then the next guy hits a changeup in the middle.
\n\u201cI made two bad pitches all day, and they made me pay for it. That\u2019s what good teams do. They made me pay for it today.\u201d
\nAnd it had nothing to do with the weather.<\/p>\n