\t\tTALLAHASSEE, Fla. \u2014 Matthew Crownover\u2019s goal against eighth-ranked Florida State on Thursday night was simple. Don\u2019t give them any glimmer of hope.
\nThough Florida State got a little hope when Dylan Busby led off the second inning with a home run to left field, the Seminoles got nothing after that. Though he admittedly did not have his best stuff, Crownover garnered his 10th victory of the season with a seven-inning performance that lifted he Tigers to a 4-1 victory at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla.
\n\u201cWe got some really good pitching out of Matthew, again,\u201d Clemson head coach Jack Leggett said. \u201cHe just continues to go out there and battle.\u201d
\nCrownover, who became the first Clemson lefty since 1996 to win 10 games in a season, won his third straight decision and his sixth in the last seven outings, while improving his record to 10-1 overall. He has not lost a start since March 27 against Wake Forest \u2013 a streak of seven straight appearances.
\n\u201cThey are a good team. They work a lot of counts. I tried to throw other things beside my fastball,\u201d Crownover said. \u201cMy changeup has worked all year, but I was able to throw my curveball and my slider when I needed to and I found my changeup later in the game.
\n\u201cI used my fastball command when I needed to, when people were on base and I got it done.\u201d
\nHe got it done and then some. After giving up three hits to the first six batters he faced, including Busby\u2019s home run in the bottom of the second inning, Crownover settled down. Clemson\u2019s ace allowed just two more hits over the next six innings.
\nThe Seminoles (37-17, 17-11 ACC) finished the game with just five hits overall. Crownover had five strikeouts in seven innings of work and four of those five came in the sixth and seventh innings.
\n\u201cMatthew spotted his fastball,\u201d Leggett said.
\nCrownover eventually gave way to another lefty in Pat Krall. The sophomore recorded all three outs in the ninth inning by way of the strikeout to earn his third save of the year.
\n\u201cPat Krall was really outstanding in the eighth and ninth innings,\u201d Leggett said.
\nOnly one FSU batter reached base against Krall and that was due to an error with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
\n\u201cHe did a heck of a job. He just attacked the zone,\u201d Crownover said about Krall\u2019s performance. \u201cWe were up 4-1 and we did not give them a glimmer of hope. That\u2019s the big thing (in Game 1) when they are down. Just don\u2019t give them a glimmer of hope. He got the first guy in every inning. He was perfect tonight.\u201d
\nAnd Crownover nearly was too. But that has been the case all year.
\n\u201cThey both pitched exceptionally well and we did not put a lot of base runners on base which was big,\u201d Leggett said. \u201cWe were able to overcome the one pitch that Crowny would like to have back, but we were able to overcome that and we did some good things offensively to win us the game.\u201d
\nClemson (29-25, 14-13 ACC) and Florida State are scheduled to play Game 2 tonight at 6 p.m. The Tigers will have an opportunity to clinch a top-six spot and an automatic berth in pool play in next week\u2019s ACC Tournament with a win. They clinched one of the 10 spots in the tournament with Thursday night\u2019s win.<\/p>\n