No. 10 #Pack9 Earns Shutout Win at No. 2 Clemson in Series Opener, 4-0

Friday, March 16

Clemson, S.C. (Doug Kingsmore Stadium)

6:30 p.m.

NC State

16-3, 3-1

#2 Clemson

16-2, 3-1

NC State

Clemson

No. 10 #Pack9 Earns Shutout Win at No. 2 Clemson in Series Opener, 4-0

3/16/2018 10:48:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Four Wolfpack pitchers combine to shut out the Tigers

CLEMSON, S.C. – For the second consecutive year, the NC State baseball team earned a top-five win as the 10^th-ranked Wolfpack recorded a 4-0 shutout win against No. 2 Clemson Friday evening at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

Four different Wolfpack pitchers combined for NC State's third shutout win of the season and first in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play. The Pack limited the Tigers to just six hits in the contest, all singles.

NC State moves to 16-3 on the year and 3-1 in ACC action, while Clemson falls to 16-2 and 3-1 in conference play.

Game Notes
- The Wolfpack recorded its first ACC shutout since May 26, 2014, when NC State defeated Georgia Tech at home, 1-0.
- It was the Pack's first ACC road shutout since earning a 10-0 victory at Boston College on May 20, 2011.
- Clemson was shutout for the first time in regular-season conference play since March 17, 2017, when Virginia earned a 2-0 win in Clemson.
- Sophomore Michael Bienlien made his first weekend start and just his second of the season, delivering a brilliant performance with five scoreless innings pitched to go along with three strikeouts.
- Last season, the Pack defeated top-ranked Louisville at home for a top-five victory.

Quick Hits
- Junior Brett Kinneman put NC State on top early, as he launched his NCAA-leading 11^th home run over the right field wall on the first pitch of his at-bat in the first inning. The York, Pa., native hit 10 home runs in all of 2017.
- The Wolfpack struck again with a pair of runs in the fifth to extend the lead to 3-0.
- Brock Deatherage walked to start the frame and scored on a sacrifice fly by Josh McLain.
- Will Wilson singled up the middle to plate J.T. Jarrett from second base, pushing across the Pack's third run of the day.
- Wilson has now reached in 34 consecutive games, dating back to last season.
- Jarrett came up big for NC State with two outs in the eighth to drive in an insurance run, as he ripped a single to left center to score Brad Debo from second base and make it 4-0.

On the Mound
- Bienlien kept the Clemson batters off balance throughout the game, as he mixed speeds effectively and yielded just four hits to lower his season ERA to 0.68.
- Freshman Nick Swiney pitched two-thirds of an inning for the Wolfpack, before Nolan Clenney relieved him and struck out the next batter swinging to end the sixth.
- Sophomore Kent Klyman entered the game to get the final out of the seventh and closed out the contest to earn his third save.

Up Next
NC State and Clemson will return to the field for game two of the series Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.