CLEMSON BASEBALL

Clemson will go for its fourth-straight series win at 1 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2. (File ACCphoto)
Clemson will go for its fourth-straight series win at 1 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2. (File ACCphoto)

Cavaliers even series with Tigers


by - Correspondent -

The trio of Kier Meredith, Caden Grice and Adam Hackenberg all homered but pitching was once again spotty in the Tigers' 8-4 Saturday night loss to Virginia inside of Doug-Kingsmore Stadium. The Tiger pitching staff gave up eight earned runs on 13 hits the day after only allowing five hits total.

Hackenberg paced the Clemson offense at the plate, going 2-for-4 and hitting his first home run of the season. The catcher also added a double at the plate. Grice hit his team-leading seventh home run of the season in the second inning.

Clemson’s Keyshawn Askew started his fourth game of the season and allowed four earned runs in 5.2 innings of work. The redshirt sophomore from Georgia surrendered seven hits but added four strikeouts.

The rubber match of the series will take place at 1:00 p.m and can be seen on ESPN2. The Tigers are looking to win their fourth-straight ACC series.

Virginia got on the scoreboard first, scoring three two-out runs in the top of the second to open up an early lead. The inning began with back-to-back singles before Askew sent the next two batters down via the strikeout. The Cavaliers answered with a bases-clearing triple and an RBI single to take the 3-0 lead.

The Tigers cut into the lead in the bottom of the inning, scoring a run on Grice’s solo home run. The true freshman crushed a 404-foot home run over the center field fence, a ball that left the bat with a 111 MPH exit velocity.

Clemson scored another run in the third to cut the deficit to one, 3-2. After back-to-back singles from Elijah Henderson and Kier Meredith, the shortstop Parker singled past the Cavaliers diving third baseman to score Henderson from third. It was the third RBI of the series for the redshirt sophomore.

Meredith tied the game at three in the fifth inning, sending his second home run of the season over the right center field wall.

Nick Clayton entered the game from the bullpen after a two-out double in the sixth, and Virginia took the lead after na RBI single from pinch-hitter Tate Ballestero, 4-3.

Hackenberg answered the run in the bottom of the inning, launching the Tigers’ third home run of the night to tie the game at four.

The Cavs took the lead once again in the following inning, hitting a home run of their own to take a 5-4 lead. The ball that was hit to the left center wall, bounced out of the pocket of the glove of Bryce Teodosio when his momentum met the wall.

Virginia opened up its lead in the eighth off a three-run home run, the fifth total long ball combined between both teams. The Cavaliers' Chris Newell recorded his second home run of the season off of Rob Hughes.

The Cavs loaded the bases in the top of the ninth with one out but Clemson left-hander Ryan Ammons struck out back-to-back batters after entering the game on the mound.

The Tigers went in order in the ninth and fell 9-8 in ACC play.


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