\t\tTALLAHASSEE, Fla. \u2014 Zack Erwin pitches like a good scorer does in basketball. If he starts off hitting his first couple of shots, or in Erwin\u2019s case pitches, he knows it\u2019s going to be his night and he is going to make everything.
\nFriday night was definitely Erwin\u2019s night. The lefty was hitting the mark early and often against eighth-ranked Florida State as he pitched six scoreless innings in leading Clemson to a 7-0 victory at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla.
\nIt was the Tigers\u2019 first shutout ever at Florida State and the first time they held the Seminoles scoreless in a game since 1996.
\n\u201cI got ahead in the count again. Whenever I do that the results usually work out in my favor,\u201d Erwin said afterwards.
\nErwin, who improved to 6-4 as a starter and now has a 2.80 ERA, was out in front of Florida State batters all night. That allowed him to work the strike zone a little more. The end result, the Seminoles grounded into seven putouts, flew out nine more and struck out three times.
\nFlorida State recorded just three hits on Erwin and had just four for the entire game.
\nThe only thing that halted the 6-foot-5, 195-pound junior was a one hour and 41 minute rain delay.
\n\u201cZack Erwin was really good tonight,\u201d Clemson head coach Jack Leggett said. \u201cHe kind of matched (Crownover).\u201d
\nErwin and Crownover have combined in the first two games of the three-game series to limit the Seminoles (37-18, 17-12 ACC) to just one run and eight hits in 13 innings. They walked just three batters and had eight strikeouts.
\n\u201cWe have played well. We won the first two, but we have had trouble the last couple of years winning the third game so hopefully we will come out tomorrow and play well,\u201d said Erwin, who has now won four of his last five starts. \u201cIt would be big for us to win all three games.\u201d
\nIf the Tigers (30-25, 15-13 ACC) keep getting the same production from the bullpen like they have had in Games 1 and 2 of this series then they should be in great shape. Pat Krall came out of the bullpen on Thursday and pitched two scoreless innings to earn his third save of the season and then on Friday Taylor Vetzel was even more impressive.
\n\u201cAfter the rain delay, I thought Taylor Vetzel was great for us,\u201d Leggett said.
\nVetzel pitched three scoreless innings to record a rare rain-delay save, his fourth of the year. The sophomore was almost perfect in delivering his third consecutive save as he blew his fastball past five of the 11 Florida State batters he faced.
\n\u201cHe did a great job. Five strikeouts in five innings, I think I only had three,\u201d Erwin said. \u201cHe was throwing hard. He looked good. That is tough to do after a rain delay, but he came in and did a great job.\u201d
\nThrough two games, the Seminoles have managed just one run and nine hits against Clemson pitching.
\nThe Tigers have pitched 16 straight scoreless innings since FSU\u2019s Dylan Busby hit a home run to lead off the bottom of the second inning in Game 1 of the series.
\n\u201cHopefully, we are building up momentum,\u201d Leggett said. \u201cWe got ourselves into the top six (of the ACC Tournament), which is nice because we do not have to play in a play-in game. This conference is tough.\u201d
\nClemson is playing perhaps its best baseball of the season heading into next week\u2019s ACC Tournament. The Tigers have won six of their last seven games overall and a win against the Seminoles, today at 1 p.m., will mean a sweep in Tallahassee for the very first time.
\n\u201cWe never give up on these kids. We appreciate all the people that have been hanging with us, and our kids have been hanging with us,\u201d Leggett said. \u201cThe coaches are hanging together and we are all working at it.
\n\u201cI\u2019m proud of how these guys have been battling. It has been tough, but we have been working out here every day to make ourselves better and we continue to keep on battling during the course of ballgames and hopefully we can put on a strong finish.\u201d<\/p>\n