North Carolina State University Athletics
Clemson Completes Baseball Sweep, 7-6
3/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson rallied for two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning Sunday to take a 7-6 come-from-behind victory over NC State in the final game of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference baseball series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. With the victory, the Tigers swept the three-game series from the Wolfpack. Clemson won both ends of a doubleheader from the Pack on Saturday, 12-7 and 12-6.
Clemson improved to 13-1 with the victory while NC State dropped to 11-4. The series marked the start of the ACC season for both teams.
For the third time in as many games in the series, the Wolfpack drew first blood, scoring an unearned run in the top of the second. Drew Poulk hit a sharp, one-out grounder to third base that Jason Stolz misplayed for an error. Chris Schaeffer was up next and walked. Chris Diaz got the run home with an RBI single up the middle.
As it did every time NC State scored in both games of the doubleheader Saturday, Clemson answered right away. Wilson Boyd led off the bottom of the inning and walked. Richie Shaffer chopped a single through the left side of the infield to put runners on first and second, and Brad Miller bunted the runners to second and third. Stolz atoned for his error and gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead with a first-pitch, two-run single to left. Stolz stole second and Chris Epps drew a two-out walk. Stolz then stole third and Mike Freeman walked to load the bases, and Jeff Schaus bounced a single through the right side, driving in Stolz and Epps to make it 4-1.
That was the only bad inning in Alex Sogard’s first start and second appearance of the season as he comes back from a shoulder injury. Sogard worked 4 2/3 innings and allowed just the four runs on four hits.
The Wolfpack climbed back into the game with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. Chris Schaeffer led off and walked. With one down, Chris Diaz was plunked by a pitch to put runners on first and second. RBI singles by John Gianis and Dallas Poulk trimmed the Clemson lead to one at 4-3. Drew Poulk tied the game at 4-4 with a one-out solo homer to left field in the top of the sixth.
The Tigers retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Brad Miller drew a one-out walk from Roque and pinch-hitter John Hinson singled thorugh the left side of the infield to put runners on first and second. Will Lamb pinch-hit for catcher John Nestor and grounded into a force play, erasing Hinson at second and sending Miller to third. Epps singled to right to drive in Miller and give Clemson a 5-4 lead.
Diaz led off the top of the seventh for NC State and singled to right. Gianis walked to put runners on first and second with none out. Dallas Poulk bunted the runners to second and third, and Andrew Ciencin, hitless in three previous at-bats, grounded to shortstop to drive in Diaz with the tying run. Pratt Maynard gave the Wolfpack a 6-5 lead with an RBI single to right, scoring Gianis from second.
That was the last that was heard of the NC State offense. Jonathan Meyer (1-0) worked the last two innings and retired all six men he faced.
Clemson, which scored nine eighth-inning runs in the Saturday doubleheader, scored two in the eighth Sunday to take a 7-6 lead. Hinson got the rally with a one-out single to right off reliever Grant Sasser (2-1), then stole second base. Sasser hit Pohl with a pitch before retiring Chris Epps on a fly ball to left for the second out of the inning. Freeman and Schaus walked to force in the tying run. At that point, the Wolfpack brought in Russell Wilson to face Clemson quarterback and designated hitter Kyle Parker with the bases loaded and two out. Parker walked on five pitches to force in Pohl with the go-ahead run.
NC State will return to action Tuesday vs. North Carolina Central at Durham Athletic Park. Fans should note that this is the old minor league ballpark in Durham, located at the intersection of Morris and Corporation streets. It is not the ballpark now occupied by the Durham Bulls. The game will be broadcast live on WKNC-FM (88.1) and on-line at gopack.com through the Pack Pass package.
