Clemson Downs NC State Baseball, 4-3

Saturday, April 24

Clemson, S.C.

7:00 PM

NC State

27-15, 0

Clemson

26-14, 0

NC State

Clemson

4/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

April 24, 2004

Final Stats

CLEMSON, S.C. - Zane Green's two-out single drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as Clemson defeated NC State 4-3 in the second game of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The victory by the Tigers was their second walk-off win in as many games in the series and lifted Clemson to 26-14 overall and 10-4 in the ACC. The Wolfpack fell to 27-15 overall and 9-8 in the conference.

Lefthander Tony Sipp (1-1) got credit for the win after allowing one hit and striking out one in a scoreless inning of relief work. Lefty Nate Cretarolo (3-2) took the loss for NC State. Cretarolo was charged with a run on one hit in a third of an inning. He walked none and struck out one.

Clemson's Jason Berkin went the first three innings, and Steve Jackson took over from there, and those two did not allow an NC State hit until Bryan Kinneberg led off the seventh inning with a ground single to right. Wolfpack starter Vern Sterry was not as his best, but he battled hard to keep the game close, allowing three runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked three, tying his season high, and struck out four.

The Tigers got a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Lou Santangelo led off and singled up the middle, and Travis Storrer promptly drove him in with a triple to the gap in right-center field. Andy D'Alessio made it 2-0 with a sharply hit single to left to drive in Storrer.

Santangelo made it 3-0 with a leadoff home run to left in the bottom of the sixth.

The Wolfpack broke up the no-hitter and the shutout in the top of the seventh. After Kinneberg's single leading off, Joey Devine grounded into a force play, erasing Kinneberg at second base. Devine went to second on a wild pitch and took third when the throw to second sailed into center field for an error. Pinch-hitter Bobby Hubbard bounced a single up the middle to cash in the run and cut the lead to 3-1.

The Pack tied the game in the top of the eighth. With one down, Lee Mezistrano walked, prompting the Tigers to bring in hard-throwing ex-catcher Collin Mahoney to face David Hicks. Mahoney throws close to 100 mph, but lefthanded hitters were batting .500 against him. Hicks, who bats lefthanded, singled to left field. The runners wound up on second and third when left fielder Tyler Colvin overran the ball for an error. Switch-hitter Jason St. Julien, batting lefthanded against the righthander, chopped a singled up the middle to drive in both runs, knotting the score at 3-3.

D'Alessio led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to center off Cretarolo. The Wolfpack brought closer Joey Devine into the game, and Russell Triplett bunted pinch-runner C.J. Gaddis to second base. Colvin flied out to deep left field, with Gaddis going to third on the play. After falling behind in the count 2-0 to Sipp, Devine issued the intentional walk, bringing up Green, who stroked the 2-2 pitch to right-cneter-field gap for the game-winning hit.

The series concludes on Sunday. Game time is 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on WKNC-FM (88.1), and the broadcast will be available on gopack.com via the Yahoo subscription service. Live in-game stats will be available on gopack.com through the Gametracker.