Parker's Three Homers & Seven RBIs Lift Clemson to Doubleheader Split

by Press Release - Sun Mar 09 23:36:37 GMT-04:00 2008

Winston-Salem, NC -

Freshman Kyle Parker tied a school record with three home runs, including the game-tying three-run homer in the ninth inning, and went 5-for-5 with five runs scored and seven RBIs in #17 Clemson?s 12-11 comeback win over Wake Forest in the second game of a doubleheader in front of 1,065 fans at Hooks Stadium on Sunday.

The Tigers trailed 11-5 heading into the eighth inning, but they scored three runs in the eighth inning and four runs in the ninth inning for the dramatic come-from-behind victory. After Parker?s three-run homer tied the score in the ninth inning, Stan Widmann hit a two-out single to plate the go-ahead run, scored by J.D. Burgess.

Clemson improved to 7-4 overall and 1-2 in ACC play, while the Demon Deacons, who won the series 2-1, fell to 7-5 overall and 2-1 in the ACC.

Parker totaled 15 total bases, as he had a two-run double and single along with his three home runs, the first two of which were solo shots. He became the 12th Tiger in history to hit three long balls in a game and first since Taylor Harbin accomplished the feat as a freshman at N.C. State in 2005. Parker entered the game with just one home run and two RBIs in his first eight games (seven starts). His 5-for-5 performance also gave him a team-best .382 batting average through the team?s first 11 games.

Freshman Trent Rothlin (1-0) earned the win in relief, as he pitched a scoreless eighth inning with a strikeout. Matt Vaughn also pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record his fourth save of the year. Craig Gullickson, Justin Sarratt, Rothlin, and Vaughn combined to allow no hits and no runs in the final four innings as well.

Wake Forest closer Brad Kledzik (0-1), who was vying for his third save of the series, allowed the last three runs on three hits to suffer the loss.

Willy Fox gave Wake Forest a 1-0 lead in the first inning when he hit a solo home run to left field, his first of the season.

Clemson responded with three runs in the top of the second inning. Ben Paulsen led off and reached on a fielding error, and he went to third base on Jeff Schaus? double down the left-field line. Parker followed with another double down the left-field line to score Paulsen and Schaus. Two batters later, Chris Epps blooped a single to center to move Parker to third. Mike Freeman then bounced a single over the first-baseman?s head to score Parker.

In the bottom of the second inning, Wake Forest went from two runs down to two runs up thanks in part to a costly Tiger error. Leadoff batter Ian Tomkins reached when Widmann dropped a pop up in the infield. Andy Goff and Ben Terry followed with singles, then Steven Brooks walked to bring home Tomkins. Fox then slapped a single through the left side to score Goff and Terry. Allan Dykstra?s pop up to right field that fell for a single loaded the bases, then Brett Linnenkohl?s sacrifice fly to center brought home Brooks.

Parker cut Wake Forest?s lead in half in the fourth inning when he hit a solo homer to right field. Two batters later, Epps singled to right and Freeman followed with a single through the right side. Widmann then hit a deep drive into the wind in left field that was caught at the wall.

The Demon Deacons came right back and upped their lead to 10-4 in the bottom of the fourth inning with five runs. Fox walked with one out and two batters later, Linnenkohl was hit-by-pitch. Dustin Hood followed with a single to right field to score Fox. Tomkins? single through the left side plated Linnenkohl and Evan Ocheltree followed with a single up the middle to score Hood. Burgess? throw to third base was wild, allowing Tomkins to score. Goff then doubled down the left-field line to score Ocheltree.

Wake Forest added a run in the fifth inning on Hood?s single through the left side that scored Dykstra, who earlier drew a two-out walk.

Parker led off the sixth inning with a solo homer to left field into a stiff breeze.

In the top of the eighth inning, Schaus led off with a walk and went to second on Parker?s single through the left side. Two batters later, Epps hit a potential inning-ending double play grounder, but Goff booted the ball, allowing Clemson to load the bases. Freeman followed with a single to left-center to score Schaus and Parker. After Widmann was hit-by-pitch to load the bases, Wilson Boyd grounded out to score Epps.

In the top of the ninth inning, Paulsen and Schaus led off with walks. Parker then hit a towering three-run homer to left field, his third of the game and fourth of the season, to tie the score. Burgess followed with a single up the middle. After Epps struck out, Burgess stole second. Two batters later, Widmann laced a 1-2 pitch up the middle for a two-out single to score Burgess, giving Clemson a 12-11 lead.

Along with Parker?s five hits, Freeman added three singles and three RBIs for the Tigers, who outhit the Demon Deacons 15-11. Fox paced the Demon Deacons with two hits, including a home run, and three RBIs.

Clemson will play host to North Carolina-Greensboro in a two-game, midweek series beginning Tuesday at 4:00 PM.

Clemson 12 (7-4,1-2 ACC)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB

Stan Widmann ss 5 0 2 1 0 1 1 2 3

Wilson Boyd cf 5 0 1 1 1 0 4 0 1

Doug Hogan c 5 0 0 0 0 1 11 0 2

Ben Paulsen 1b 4 2 0 0 1 1 6 0 1

Jeff Schaus lf 3 3 1 0 2 0 2 0 1

Kyle Parker dh 5 5 5 7 0 0 0 0 0

J.D. Burgess 2b 5 1 1 0 0 2 1 3 0

Chris Epps rf 5 1 2 0 0 2 2 0 0

Alex Lee rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Mike Freeman 3b 5 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 0

Matt Zoltak p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Craig Gullickson p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Justin Sarratt p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Trent Rothlin p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Matt Vaughn p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals...... 42 12 15 12 4 7 27 5 8

Wake Forest 11 (7-5,2-1 ACC)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB

Ben Terry cf 5 1 1 0 1 3 4 0 2

Steven Brooks rf/lf 4 1 0 1 1 1 2 0 0

Michael Murray ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

Willy Fox dh 4 2 2 3 2 1 0 0 0

Allan Dykstra 3b/1b 5 1 2 0 1 1 2 1 2

Brett Linnenkohl lf 0 1 0 1 2 0 3 0 0

Nathan Frazier 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Dustin Hood 2b 5 1 2 2 0 0 2 5 4

Ian Tomkins c 5 2 1 1 0 2 8 0 2

Evan Ocheltree 1b/rf 4 1 1 1 0 1 3 0 1

Andy Goff ss 5 1 2 1 0 1 3 1 0

Charlie Mellies p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Joel Ernst p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Ryan McGrath p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Brad Kledzik p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals...... 38 11 11 10 7 11 27 7 11

Score by Innings R H E

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Clemson............. 030 101 034 - 12 15 2

Wake Forest......... 140 510 000 - 11 11 3

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E - WIDMANN(5); BURGESS(2); TOMKINS(2); OCHELTREE(2); GOFF(3). DP - Wake

Forest 2. LOB - Clemson 8; Wake Forest 11. 2B - SCHAUS(2); PARKER(3);

DYKSTRA(2); GOFF(1). HR - PARKER 3(4); FOX(1). HBP - WIDMANN; LINNENKOHL 2;

OCHELTREE. SF - LINNENKOHL(1). SB - BURGESS(1); LINNENKOHL(12).

Clemson IP H R ER BB SO AB BF

Matt Zoltak 3.2 9 10 8 3 3 20 26

Craig Gullickson 2.1 2 1 1 2 4 9 11

Justin Sarratt 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3

Trent Rothlin 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 3 4

Matt Vaughn 1.0 0 0 0 2 2 3 5

Wake Forest IP H R ER BB SO AB BF

Charlie Mellies 7.0 10 5 4 1 5 30 31

Joel Ernst 0.1 1 3 1 1 1 3 4

Ryan McGrath 0.2 1 1 1 1 0 3 5

Brad Kledzik 1.0 3 3 3 1 1 6 7

Win - ROTHLIN (1-0). Loss - KLEDZIK (0-1). Save - VAUGHN (4).

HBP - by ZOLTAK (OCHELTREE); by ZOLTAK (LINNENKOHL); by McGRATH (WIDMANN); by

ROTHLIN (LINNENKOHL).

Umpires - HP: Greg Street 1B: Tony Walsh 3B: Scott Erby

Start: 2:11 Time: 2:56 Attendance: 1065

McGRATH faced 1 batter in the 9th.

Demon Deacons Take Game-Two of Series 5-3 Over #17 Clemson Sunday

Second game of doubleheader and series-finale to follow.

Winston-Salem, NC -

Wake Forest scored four runs in the sixth inning and held on to defeat #17 Clemson 5-3 in the first game of a doubleheader at Hooks Stadium on Sunday. The Demon Deacons, who took a 2-0 series lead, improved to 7-4 overall and 2-0 in the ACC, while the Tigers fell to 6-4 overall and 0-2 in ACC play. Wake Forest has defeated Clemson four times by a combined victory margin of six runs in the last two years.

Lefty starter Garrett Bullock (2-0) earned the win. In 7.1 innings pitched, he allowed just five hits (all singles), three unearned runs, and two walks with six strikeouts. Brad Kledzik pitched 1.1 scoreless innings to record his second save of the series and season. Tiger starter D.J. Mitchell, pitching near his hometown of Rural Hall, NC, allowed just three hits in 5.2 innings pitched, but he gave up four walks and five runs (four earned) to take the loss.

Wake Forest, who totaled just five hits, was led by Dustin Hood, who had two hits. Mike Murray added two RBIs as well.

J.D. Burgess had two of the seven hits for Clemson, who left eight runners on base. Doug Hogan?s 24-game hitting streak came to an end, as he was 0-for-3.

The Demon Deacons took the game?s first lead in the third inning. Steven Brooks led off with a walk, moved to second on Andy Goff?s sacrifice bunt, and went to third on Ben Terry?s groundout. After Brett Linnenkohl walked, Brooks scored on a passed ball. It was Hogan?s first passed ball of the season.

In the top of the fifth inning, John Nester led off with a line-drive single to left field and advanced to second base on Alex Lee?s sacrifice bunt. After Matt Sanders grounded out for out #2, Stan Widmann hit a grounder to third-baseman Allan Dykstra. Dykstra?s throw was high and allowed Nester to score from third base.

The Demon Deacons regained the lead in the sixth inning with four runs thanks again to more ?free passes.? Linnenkohl reached on a walk with one out then stole both second and third base. After Willy Fox drew another walk, Dykstra singled through the right side to score Linnenkohl, then both Fox and Dykstra moved up on a wild pitch. Murray followed with a double up the middle to score Fox and Dykstra. Two batters later, Evan Ocheltree?s single through the right side plated pinch-runner Austin Jones to give Wake Forest a 5-1 lead.

The Tigers finally broke through with a hit with runners in scoring position in the eighth inning. Hogan reached with one out on an error when a pop fly to shallow right field fell. Kyle Parker followed with a walk and Jeff Schaus flied out for out #2. Burgess came through with a single up the middle to score Hogan. Pinch-hitter Chris Epps then singled to second base to score Parker, cutting Wake Forest?s lead to 5-3.

Clemson and Wake Forest will play the second game of a doubleheader and series-finale at 2:10 PM.