Top-Ranked Clemson Tops NC State Baseball, 6-4

Friday, April 5

Clemson, SC

7:15 PM ET

NC State

20-12, 0

Clemson

26-1, 0

NC State

Clemson

Brian Wright went 1-for-3 with two RBI for the Wolfpack.

4/5/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

April 5, 2002

Box Score

CLEMSON, S.C. -- Four Clemson pitchers combined on a four-hitter, and Kyle Frank and Michael Johnson both homered and drew bases-loaded walks to lead nationally top-ranked Clemson past NC State, 6-4, Friday night at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

The Tigers improved to 26-1 overall with the win, 4-0 in the ACC. The Wolfpack dropped to 20-12 overall and 1-6 in the ACC. Clemson starter Steve Reba (7-0) picked up the win with seven strong innings of work. He allowed two runs on two hits, walked four and struck out six. Paul Harrelson got the final three outs in order to pick up his sixth save of the season. NC State starter Derek McKee (2-3) pitched as well as he has all season, but took the loss after allowing six runs, five of them earned, on five hits in six-plus innings. He walked five and struck out four.

Both teams struggled on offense through the early innings. NC State stranded runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings as Reba battled with his control before retiring 11 men in a row through the top of the sixth inning.

Johnson got the scoring started for the Tigers in the bottom of the second with a one-out solo home run to straightaway center field, his 13th long ball of the season.

McKee was one pitch away from getting out of the third inning unscathed, but Kyle Frank dug himself out of an 0-2 count, worked the count full, and hammered a home run to right field, his third of the season, to give Clemson a 2-0 lead.

The Tigers scratched for an unearned run in the bottom of the third when Johnson and Jeff Hourigan drew walks, and Russell Triplett reached on a two-out error, allowing Johnson to score and make it 3-0, Clemson.

NC State got to Reba for two runs in the top of the sixth. After retiring the first two men of the ining on a strikeout and a groundout, Reba walked Brian Wright on four pitches, and David Hicks followed with a two-run line-drive homer to right-center, his second of the season, to cut the Clemson lead to 3-2.

The critical inning proved to be the bottom of the seventh. Triplett led off and blooped a double to center field, in and out of the glove of a diving Joe Gaetti, and pinch-hitter Zane Green walked to put runners on first and second. L.J. DeMaino laid down a bunt that hugged the third-base line. McKee, thinking the ball would roll foul, did not pick up the ball right away, and would up throwing late to first base. DeMaino was safe with a hit, and the bases were loaded with none out. Phillip Davidson relieved McKee and completed a walk to Frank, forcing in a run. That walk was charged to McKee. Khalil Greene followed with a sacrifice fly to right to give the Tigers a 5-2 lead. Jeff Baker walked to reload the bases, and Johnson walked to force in another run and increase the Clemson lead to 6-2. Davidson got out of the inning when Jarrod Schmidt bounced into a third-to-home-to-first double play.

The Wolfpack put together a two-run raly in the top of the eighth against reliever Thomas Boozer. Matt Butler led off with a walk and Jeremy Dutton legged out a high chopper to Greene at shortstop for an infield single. Chad Orvella advanced the runners with a grounder to the right side of the infield, and Wright's double down the line in left field drove in both runners to cut the lead to 6-4.

The two teams will play the second game of the series on Saturday, April 6, at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast on WKNC-FM, and on gopack.com. Live in-game stats and box score will also be available on gopack.com.