Courtesy: Brian Utesch Drew Poulk homered and drove in two runs, but NC State fell to Clemson 11-5.
RALEIGH, N.C. – For the second night in a row, 14th-ranked Clemson hung a big crooked number on the scoreboard in the first inning, this time a five-spot, and rolled past NC State 11-5 in the second game of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series between the two teams.
Clemson, which won the first game of the series 13-8, got five innings from starter Casey Harman (7-3), who allowed five runs on eight hits. He struck out eight and did not issue a walk. Relievers Justin Sarratt, Ryan Hinson and Matt Vaughn combined to work four shutout innings on just four hits. Clemson pitchers did not issue a walk and struck out 12.
The first-inning fireworks have become something of a pattern for Clemson in the series. On Friday, the Tigers roughed up Jimmy Gillheeney for six runs in the first inning. This time, they mugged John Lambert for five. Chris Epps led off with a walk, stole second and scored on Mike Freeman’s RBI single up the middle. Jeff Schaus singled through the right side to send Freeman to third. Schaus stole second, and went to third when catcher Chris Schaeffer’s throw went into center field for an error, with Freeman scoring on the play to make it 2-0. Ben Paulsen walked to put runners on first and second. Kyle Parker grounded to third, but Andrew Ciencin’s throw to second was wide of the bag for an error, allowing Paulsen to reach second and Schaus to score the third run of the inning. Wilson Boyd doubled to right-center to score Paulsen and send Parker to third, and John Nestor’s single to left drove in Parker to make it 5-0.
Harold Riggins got NC State on the scoreboard with a solo homer to right-center leading off the bottom of the second, but the Tigers batted around for the second time in three innings in the top of the third, dropping five more runs on the board. Parker and Boyd led off with singles before Nestor flied to right for the first out. Parker went to third on the play to put runners on the corners with one down. Brad Miller singled to left to score Parker and put runners on first and second. Jason Stolz singled to left to drive in Boyd and make it 7-1, and Miller and Stolz pulled a double steal, with Schaeffer’s throw sailing into left field for an error that scored Miller with the Tigers’ eighth run. Epps singled to center field to send Stolz to third, ending the night for Lambert. Grant Sasser came in to pitch for the Wolfpack and got Mike Freeman on a grounder to third, driving in Stolz. Clemson’s final run came when Riggins made a poor toss to Sasser covering the bag on a grounder to first by Schaus.
Lambert (1-5) did not have his best game, allowing 10 runs, eight earned, on 10 hits in 2 1/3 innings. Sasser, however, settled in and mowed down the Tigers through the seventh inning, retiring 16 of 18 batters at one point.
Riggins reached on a one-out infield single in the bottom of the fourth, then chugged all the way around to score on Ciencin’s double down the left-field line. Ciencin took third base on the throw to the plate, then scored on Cameron Conner’s single to left. Drew Poulk belted a two-run home run to right in the fifth to make it 10-5.
Sasser finally began to wear down in the eighth. Stolz led off with an infield single and Epps walked. Freeman sacrificed the runners to second and third, and Addison Johnson singled to left to drive in Stolz and make it 11-5. Sasser worked into the top of the ninth before giving way to Kyle Rutter for the final two outs. The Wolfpack bullpen combined to allow one run on four hits in 6 2/3 innings.
The Wolfpack and Tigers will play the final game of this three-game series on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on WKNC-FM (88.1) and on-line at gopack.com via Pack Pass, and will be televised as the ACC Game of the Week. Check your local listings.
Courtesy: Brian Utesch
