Tigers Walk Off With 7-6 Victory Over UNC in ACC Tournament

---

SALEM, VA - Clemson shortstop Russell Triplett broke a 6-6 tie with a game-winning single to left in the bottom of the ninth to lead the fourth-seeded Tigers (35-22) to a 7-6 win over No. 5 seed North Carolina (38-18) in the first round of the 2004 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Championship Wednesday at Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium. With the loss, the Tar Heels will play the loser of Wednesday's Georgia Tech-Maryland game at 10 a.m. Thursday.

With the game tied at six heading to the Clemson half of the ninth, right fielder Kris Harvey singled to lead off the inning off Carolina closer Michael Gross. Harvey was bunted over the second and then beat the throw to the plate after Triplett's single for the game-winning run. Gross (3-3) came on to start the ninth and took the loss. Reliever Patrick Hogan (2-2) picked up the win for the Tigers after coming on to get the final out of the top of the ninth.

All-ACC right fielder Marshall Hubbard went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer, and first baseman Sammy Hewitt went 3-for-5 with a double to lead the Tar Heels at the plate. Catcher Chris Iannetta and third baseman Justin Webb each added two hits for UNC. Hubbard has now hit safely in each of the last nine games and has 71 RBI on the year, which ranks as the fifth-best single-season total in program history. Clemson third baseman Brad McCann went 4-for-5, and Triplett went 2-for-5 with three runs batted in.

With four consecutive hits to lead off the game, Clemson took a 3-0 lead in the first. Tony Sipp led off the game with a double to left center as Carolina outfielders Chase Younts and Mike Daniel collided on the play, allowing the ball to drop. Second baseman Travis Storrer then singled through the right side to drive in the first run of the day. After two more singles loaded the bases, Harvey reached on a fielder's choice to drive in Storrer. Left fielder Tyler Colvin singled to center to score the third run of the frame. Younts left the game after colliding with Daniel on Sipp's double.

The Tigers added a run in the second when Storrer scored from third on a delayed steal.

width=300 height=250 border=1>

Highlighted by Hubbard's homer, the Tar Heels sent nine men top the plate tied the game at four in the fourth. Hubbard cut the Clemson lead in half with a two-run homer to left, his team-best 16th of the season. The shot scored Iannetta, who singled to left to lead off the inning. After left fielder Ross Cook drove in Hewitt with an RBI groundout, Webb doubled to left center and second baseman Bryan Steed singled up the middle to tie the game with two outs. Hewitt also doubled in the inning. Clemson starter Jason Berken was lifted after 3.2 innings in favor of Josh Cribb.

Designated hitter Matt Ellington put Carolina in front 5-4 with a two-out RBI single in the fifth. Iannetta led off the inning with a double to left, took third on a groundout to second by Hubbard and then scored on Ellington's single through the right side.

The Tar Heel lead was short-lived as Clemson's Triplett drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single to center in the bottom of the inning. The hit off UNC reliever Robert Woodard scored catcher Lou Santangelo, who walked, and first baseman Andy D'Alessio, who reached on a fielder's choice. Both runs were charged to Tar Heel starter Daniel Bard, who worked four-plus innings and allowed a career-high six earned runs on eight hits and two walks.

Carolina tied the game once again in the sixth when Webb, who reached on an infield single, scored on a two-out double to left by Daniel off Sipp, who came on to pitch. Neither team scored again until Triplett plated the game winner for the Tigers in the ninth.

Berken, the Clemson starter, worked 3.2 innings and allowed four runs one seven hits and a walk. He struck out two. Woodard and Whitley Benson combined to work 3.2 scoreless innings out of the Tar Heel bullpen, while Sipp tossed 3.1 scoreless innings for the Tigers.

With the win, Clemson will face the winner between the Terrapins at Jackets at 5 p.m. Thursday.

North Carolina 6 (38-18)


Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB


------------------------------------------------------


Mangum, Greg ss..........  4  0  1  0   1  1  2  4   0


Daniel, Mike lf/cf.......  5  0  1  1   0  2  3  0   3


Iannetta, Chris c........  5  2  2  0   0  1  3  1   1


Hubbard, Marshall rf.....  5  1  2  2   0  0  3  0   0


Hewitt, Sammy 1b.........  5  1  3  0   0  2  8  1   0


Ellington, Matt dh.......  4  0  1  1   0  2  0  0   0


 Moyer, Wes ph...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0


 Cox, Jay ph/dh..........  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   2


Younts, Chase cf.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0


 Cook, Ross lf...........  4  0  0  1   0  0  3  0   3


Webb, Justin 3b..........  4  2  2  0   0  0  1  4   0


Steed, Bryan 2b..........  3  0  1  1   0  1  2  2   0


Bard, Daniel p...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0


 Woodard, Robert p.......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0


 Benson, Whitley p.......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0


 Brower, Kevin p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0


 Gross, Michael p........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0


Totals................... 40  6 13  6   1  9 25 13   9


Clemson 7 (35-22)


Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB


------------------------------------------------------


Sipp, Tony cf/p..........  5  1  2  0   0  0  3  0   3


Storrer, Travis 2b.......  5  2  2  1   0  0  1  4   1


McCann, Brad 3b..........  5  1  4  0   0  0  0  1   0


Santangelo, Lou c........  4  1  1  0   1  1  8  0   1


Harvey, Kris rf..........  4  1  1  1   0  0  1  0   0


D'Alessio, Andy 1b.......  3  1  1  0   1  0 11  1   0


Colvin, Tyler lf.........  3  0  2  1   2  0  3  0   1


Triplett, Russell ss.....  5  0  2  3   0  0  0  4   2


Demmink, Herman dh.......  2  0  0  0   1  1  0  0   0


 Evans, Garrick cf.......  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   2


 Hogan, Patrick p........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0


Berken, Jason p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0


 Cribb, Josh p...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0


Totals................... 37  7 15  6   5  2 27 10  12


Score by Innings                    R  H  E


-------------------------------------------


North Carolina...... 000 411 000 -  6 13  1


Clemson............. 310 020 001 -  7 15  0


-------------------------------------------


Note: 1 out, 2 runners LOB when the game ended.


E - IANNETTA(7). DP - N. Carolina 1. LOB - N. Carolina 9; 


Clemson 12. 2B - DANIEL(12); IANNETTA(17); HEWITT(9); 


WEBB(6); SIPP(7); McCANN 2(19). HR - HUBBARD(16). 


SH - STEED(4); HARVEY(2); D'ALESSIO(2). SB - MANGUM(14). 


CS - McCANN(4).


North Carolina         IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF


-----------------------------------------------


Bard, Daniel........  4.0  8  6  6  2  2 20 22


Woodard, Robert.....  2.0  1  0  0  2  0  6  9


Benson, Whitley.....  1.2  4  0  0  0  0  8  8


Brower, Kevin.......  0.1  0  0  0  0  0  1  1


Gross, Michael......  0.1  2  1  1  1  0  2  4


Clemson                IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF


-----------------------------------------------


Berken, Jason.......  3.2  7  4  4  1  2 18 19


Cribb, Josh.........  1.2  3  2  2  0  1  7  8


Sipp, Tony..........  3.1  3  0  0  0  6 14 14


Hogan, Patrick......  0.1  0  0  0  0  0  1  1


Win - P. HOGAN (2-2).  Loss - GROSS (3-3).  Save - None.


WP - SIPP(7).


Umpires - HP: Scott Graham  1B: David Savage 


2B: A.J. Lostaglio  3B: Al Davis


Start: 10:00 AM   Time: 3:05   Attendance:


BARD faced 2 batters in the 5th.

Trending on TigerNet

Clemson women’s golf selected for eighth-straight NCAA Regional

Tigers fall to Notre Dame in ACC Tournament quarterfinals

Former Clemson football assistant named to SEC team's staff

4-star Peach State defender sets commitment date, Clemson in final visits