Unlikely Clemson Rally Stuns Spartans In 9th Inning |
CLEMSON - Stan Widmann's two-out single in the ninth inning scored the tying run and a throwing error on the play lifted #24 Clemson to a 6-5 comeback victory over UNC Greensboro on Wednesday in front of 4,132 fans at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The Tigers won both midweek games against the Spartans by one run. Clemson improved to 9-4, while the Spartans fell to 8-5.
Widmann had the game-tying hit, a two-run single to left. Clemson's sixth run was scored by Alex Lee on a throwing error by Spartan left-fielder Pedro Leon. John Nester and Ben Paulsen each hit solo home runs and Wilson Boyd upped his hitting-streak to 11 games in the win.
Matt Gaski finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs for the Spartans. Ricky Orton added two hits and one RBI as well.
Matt Zoltak (2-0) pitched a scoreless and hitless ninth inning in relief to earn the win. Rob Gilliam (1-3) allowed the final four runs (three earned) on two hits to suffer the loss for the Spartans. Four UNC Greensboro pitchers limited Clemson to just six hits in the contest.
The Spartans got on the scoreboard first with a run in the top of the third. Adam Deleo led off with a single to left and stole second. With two outs, Gaski drove him in with a single to left.
UNC Greensboro tacked on one more run in the fourth when Orton led off the frame with a solo home run to right. It was his third long ball of the season.
The Tigers answered with one run in the bottom half of the inning. Doug Hogan led off with a single to left, stole second, and reached third on a throwing error by the catcher on the steal. Paulsen drew a walk to put runners on the corners. Jeff Schaus then plated Hogan on a groundout.
The Spartans added two runs in the fifth thanks to Greg Feltes' fourth homer of the year, a two-run shot to center on a 1-2 pitch, to put them ahead 4-1.
UNC Greensboro took a 5-1 lead in the seventh, as Ray Quinones led off with a double to right-center and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Tim Carrier. Gaski then drove Quinones home with a one-out single up the middle.
The Tigers scored one run in the eighth when Nester led off the frame with a solo home run to left. It was his third homer of the season.
Clemson rallied in the ninth, as Paulsen led off with his fifth long ball of the season, a solo shot to left-center. Schaus and J.D. Burgess then drew back-to-back walks and each moved up a base thanks to a perfectly-executed sacrifice bunt by John Hinson. Two batters later with two outs, Lee drew another walk to load the bases.
With the game on the line, Widmann slapped the first pitch to left field for a single to score Schaus from third and Burgess from second, as Burgess was safe standing. Burgess made contact with the catcher, who was standing on the plate, before the ball arrived and Leon's throw went by the catcher and to the backstop. Lee, who aggressively went to third base on the single, took off for home and slid just ahead of the throw at the plate to give Clemson the dramatic victory, it's fifth one-run win in as many games in 2008.
Clemson will return to action when it plays host to Boston College in a three-game series this weekend beginning Friday at 4:00 PM.
2008 Clemson Baseball
UNC Greensboro at #24 Clemson
Mar 12, 2008 at Clemson, SC (Doug Kingsmore Stad.)
UNC Greensboro 5 (8-5)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Tim Carrier 2b........... 4 0 0 0 0 3 3 4 0
Matt Gaski ss............ 4 0 2 2 0 0 4 2 0
Greg Feltes dh........... 3 1 1 2 1 1 0 0 1
Ricky Orton 1b........... 4 1 2 1 0 1 8 0 2
Sean Snell rf............ 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1
Pedro Leon lf............ 3 0 0 0 0 2 4 0 0
Corey Overholtzer cf..... 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Adam Deleo c............. 4 1 1 0 0 0 5 0 1
Ray Quinones 3b.......... 4 2 2 0 0 0 0 1 0
Matt Gibbs p............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Alex Shelton p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Wes McCall p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Rob Gilliam p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals................... 34 5 9 5 1 7 26 8 5
Clemson 6 (9-4)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Stan Widmann ss.......... 5 0 1 2 0 0 1 2 0
Wilson Boyd cf........... 4 0 1 0 0 0 6 0 0
Doug Hogan c............. 3 1 1 0 1 0 7 0 1
Ben Paulsen 1b........... 3 1 1 1 1 1 7 0 1
Jeff Schaus lf........... 2 1 0 1 2 0 1 0 0
Mike Freeman 2b.......... 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0
J.D. Burgess ph/2b...... 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0
John Hinson 3b........... 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 0
John Nester dh........... 4 1 1 1 0 2 0 0 2
Chris Epps rf............ 1 0 0 0 1 1 3 0 0
Kyle Parker ph.......... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Alex Lee rf............. 0 1 0 0 1 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
D.J. Mitchell p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Matt Zoltak p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals................... 29 6 6 5 7 5 27 6 5
Score by Innings R H E
-------------------------------------------
UNC Greensboro...... 001 120 100 - 5 9 2
Clemson............. 000 100 014 - 6 6 0
-------------------------------------------
Note: 2 outs, 1 runner LOB when the game ended.
E - LEON(2); DELEO(1). DP - Greensboro 2. LOB - Greensboro 5; Clemson 5. 2B
- ORTON(9); SNELL(5); QUINONES(3); BOYD(3). HR - FELTES(4); ORTON(3);
PAULSEN(5); NESTER(3). SH - CARRIER(1); LEON(1); J. HINSON(1). SB -
DELEO(2); HOGAN(2).
UNC Greensboro IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Matt Gibbs.......... 3.0 2 1 0 3 1 10 13
Alex Shelton........ 3.0 0 0 0 1 3 8 9
Wes McCall.......... 1.2 2 1 1 0 0 7 7
Rob Gilliam......... 1.0 2 4 3 3 1 4 8
Clemson IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Craig Gullickson.... 4.0 4 2 2 1 2 15 17
Justin Sarratt...... 2.0 3 2 2 0 1 9 9
D.J. Mitchell....... 2.0 2 1 1 0 3 7 8
Matt Zoltak......... 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3
Win - ZOLTAK (2-0). Loss - GILLIAM (1-3). Save - None.
Umpires - HP: Danny Everett 1B: Arthur Schmidt 3B: Kevin Elzy
Start: 4:06 Time: 2:39 Attendance: 4132
GIBBS faced 2 batters in the 4th.
Game: CU3121
Play-by-Play
2008 Clemson Baseball
UNC Greensboro at #24 Clemson - Play-by-Play
Mar 12, 2008 at Clemson, SC (Doug Kingsmore Stad.)
Score by Innings R H E
-------------------------------------------
UNC Greensboro...... 001 120 100 - 5 9 2
Clemson............. 000 100 014 - 6 6 0
-------------------------------------------
UNC Greensboro starters: 5/2b CARRIER; 12/ss GASKI; 8/dh FELTES; 21/1b ORTON;
10/rf SNELL; 24/lf LEON; 22/cf OVERHOLTZER; 44/c DELEO; 6/3b QUINONES; 26/p
GIBBS;
Clemson starters: 6/ss WIDMANN; 12/cf BOYD; 30/c HOGAN; 10/1b PAULSEN; 3/lf
SCHAUS; 5/2b FREEMAN; 4/3b J. HINSON; 17/dh NESTER; 26/rf EPPS; 35/p
GULLICKSON;
UNC Greensboro 1st - CARRIER struck out swinging. GASKI grounded out to
ss. FELTES walked. ORTON grounded out to 1b unassisted. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0
errors, 1 LOB.
Clemson 1st - WIDMANN fouled out to 1b. BOYD flied out to lf. HOGAN
popped up to 2b to right field. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
UNC Greensboro 2nd - SNELL fouled out to 3b. LEON flied out to rf.
OVERHOLTZER flied out to cf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Clemson 2nd - PAULSEN popped up to ss. SCHAUS walked. FREEMAN struck out
swinging. J. HINSON singled up the middle; SCHAUS advanced to second. NESTER
flied out to cf to left center. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
UNC Greensboro 3rd - DELEO singled to left field. QUINONES fouled out to
rf down the rf line. CARRIER struck out swinging; DELEO stole second. GASKI
singled to left field, RBI; DELEO scored. FELTES flied out to cf to right
center. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Clemson 3rd - EPPS walked. WIDMANN flied out to lf. BOYD grounded into
double play ss to 1b; EPPS out on the play. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0
LOB.
UNC Greensboro 4th - ORTON homered to right field, RBI. SNELL doubled
down the lf line. LEON out at first 3b to 2b, SAC, bunt; SNELL advanced to
third. OVERHOLTZER grounded out to 1b unassisted. DELEO lined out to cf. 1
run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Clemson 4th - HOGAN singled to left field. HOGAN stole second, advanced
to third on a throwing error by c. PAULSEN walked. SHELTON to p for GIBBS.
SCHAUS reached on a fielder's choice to second base, RBI; PAULSEN out at second
2b to ss; HOGAN scored, unearned. FREEMAN grounded into double play ss to 1b;
SCHAUS out on the play. 1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 0 LOB.
UNC Greensboro 5th - SARRATT to p for GULLICKSON. QUINONES singled to
right field. CARRIER flied out to lf to left center. GASKI popped up to ss to
left field. FELTES homered to center field, 2 RBI; QUINONES scored. ORTON
doubled to right center. SNELL lined out to cf to right center. 2 runs, 3
hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Clemson 5th - J. HINSON grounded out to 2b. NESTER struck out swinging.
EPPS struck out looking. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
UNC Greensboro 6th - LEON struck out swinging. OVERHOLTZER flied out to
cf. DELEO grounded out to 3b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Clemson 6th - WIDMANN flied out to lf to left center. BOYD lined out to
2b. HOGAN walked. PAULSEN struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1
LOB.
UNC Greensboro 7th - MITCHELL to p for SARRATT. QUINONES doubled to
right center. CARRIER grounded out to 3b, SAC, bunt; QUINONES advanced to
third. GASKI singled up the middle, RBI; QUINONES scored. FELTES struck out
looking. ORTON struck out swinging. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Clemson 7th - McCALL to p for SHELTON. SCHAUS grounded out to 2b.
BURGESS pinch hit for FREEMAN. BURGESS popped up to 2b. J. HINSON flied out to
lf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
UNC Greensboro 8th - BURGESS to 2b. SNELL flied out to cf to right
center. LEON struck out swinging. OVERHOLTZER flied out to rf down the rf line.
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Clemson 8th - NESTER homered to left field, RBI. PARKER pinch hit for
EPPS. PARKER grounded out to 2b. WIDMANN grounded out to p. BOYD doubled to
right center. GILLIAM to p for McCALL. HOGAN flied out to rf down the rf line.
1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
UNC Greensboro 9th - LEE to rf for PARKER. ZOLTAK to p for MITCHELL.
DELEO grounded out to ss. QUINONES grounded out to 2b. CARRIER struck out
looking. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Clemson 9th - PAULSEN homered to left center, RBI. SCHAUS walked.
BURGESS walked; SCHAUS advanced to second. J. HINSON grounded out to 3b, SAC,
bunt; BURGESS advanced to second; SCHAUS advanced to third. NESTER struck out
looking. LEE walked. WIDMANN singled to left field, 2 RBI, advanced to second
on the throw; LEE advanced to third, scored on a throwing error by lf,
unearned; BURGESS scored; SCHAUS scored. 4 runs, 2 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.
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