NC State
Clemson
Clemson Rallies Past NC State Baseball, 12-10
3/29/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 29, 2003
KINSTON, N.C. - Jeff Hourigan's three-run homer tied the game in the ninth inning, and 10th-ranked Clemson went on to score seven runs in the inning to defeat 16th-ranked NC State 12-10 in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday night at Grainger Stadium. The win salvaged a split of the doubleheader for the Tigers, who lost the series two games to one. Clemson improved to 19-6 overall and 1-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Wolfpack dropped to 23-7 overall and 4-2 in the ACC.
Patrick Clayton (1-0), the fourth of five Clemson pitchers, got the win. He allowed two runs on one hit and a walk in 1-2/3 innings. He struck out two. Paul Harrelson got the final two outs to record his third save of the season. Chad Orvella (0-1) took the loss for NC State after allowing seven runs on seven hits in 1-1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out two.
The Tigers got off to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Russell Triplett singled with one out, went to second when Michael Johnson walked, took third on Brad McCann's single, and scored on Kyle Frank's grounder to first base.
NC State jumped on Harvey in the bottom of the first. Marc Maynor led off and reached on an error. Maynor stole second, and Jeremy Dutton followed with an RBI double. Colt Morton was hit by a pitch, and Dutton stole second and scored when catcher Collin Mahoney's throw bounced into left field for an error. Joe Gaetti walked on the play, and Justin Riley bunted the runners to second and third. David Hicks walked to load the bases, and Chad Orvella walked to force in a run. Matt Camp's sacrifice fly made it 4-1.
The Tigers pulled to within a run in the top of the second. Mahoney led off and reached on an infield single. Herman Demmink doubled to put runners on second and third with none out, and David Slavin singled to left to drive in both runners and cut the lead to 4-3.
Frank led off the top of the fourth, walked, took second on a passed ball, went to third on a groundout, and scored on a groundout by Mahoney, tying the score at 4-4.
With one out in the bottom of the inning, Adam Hargrave singled to right and Maynor singled to center. Dutton drove his second double of the game into the gap in right-center to drive in both runners and give the Pack a 6-4 lead. Gaetti walked to chase Harvey to the showers, and reliever Brett Murphy walked Mortopn and Riley to force in a run and make it 7-4. Robert Rohrbaugh came in for the Tigers and struck out Hicks, but then walked Orvella to force in another run and give NC State an 8-4 lead.
The big inning for Clemson began with a walk to Michael Johnson and a single to right by Brad McCann. Frank struck out, but Hourigan was up next and tied the game at 8-8 with a long home run to left. Mahoney doubled to center field, and Demmink hit an RBI double to left to drive in pinch-runner Zane Green with the go-ahead run. David Slavin was up next and singled to center field, driving in Demmink to make it 10-8. Slavin went to second when the throw to the plate was wild for an error. Hub flied out for the second out, but Triplett hit an infield single, and Johnson blooped the 3-2 pitch for a two-run double into no man's land just behind third base, driving in Slavin and Triplett and make it 12-8.
The Pack threatened in the bottom of the ninth, but came up just short. Camp singled with one out, and pinch-hitter Tim Coffield walked. With two down, Dutton singled to right to load the bases, and Gaetti followed with a single to right to drive in two runs and cut the lead to two at 12-10. But Harrelson fanned Morton for the final out.
