Cam Cannarella's three-run homer rallies Clemson in eighth over Eagles

Cam Cannarella's eighth-inning home run rallied Clemson to a series-opening win. (File photo)

by Brandon Rink - Staff Writer - Thu May 16 21:14:29 GMT-04:00 2024

CLEMSON – Cam Cannarella fought off four pitches for foul balls, and when he found the right one, he sent it into the Chapman Grandstands to start off the series against Boston College with a late rally and win.

With the No. 4 Tigers (38-13, 18-10 ACC) down a run in the eighth inning, Cannarella stepped to the plate with two on and one out, and on the ninth delivery from BC’s Tyler Mudd (2-3) to him, Cannarella jumped all over it and sent it opposite-field to left to grab a 12-10 Clemson lead, the eventual final score over the Eagles (22-29, 8-20).

It marked the Tigers' 22nd comeback win in 38 victories this season, snapping a three-game ACC losing streak for the top-eight national seed contender.

The teams meet back up on Friday at 1 p.m., which was moved up due to the inclement weather forecast. The Tigers are looking to grab a seventh home weekend series win in eight tries this season.

Clemson had some early woes with a pair of errors in the first three batters during a five-run BC first inning. Eagles catcher Parker Landwehr capped the rally with a no-doubt, three-run homer against Clemson’s Ethan Darden that bounced off from the bottom of the scoreboard in left-center field.

Darden gave up his second shot of the night to deep center in the third inning, a solo homer from Cameron Leary, and Darden’s day was finished after hitting the next batter.

The sophomore righty had suffered some hard luck in giving up three earned runs per in his previous five starts – all Clemson losses – but with his own fielding error a part of the first inning action, Darden gave up six runs (two earned) on four hits with a hit batter and two strikeouts over 2+ innings pitched Thursday.

In the bottom of the third inning, the Tigers put a dent into that BC edge with a Jimmy Obertop flyball to right field that kept carrying over the wall to score three Tigers and cut the Eagles lead to 6-4. It was his 17th homer of the season, which is second on the team (to Dick Howser Award semifinalist Blake Wright’s 19).

BC restored a four-run advantage in the next inning with a solo homer from John Collins and an RBI double from Sam McNulty, which was again answered in the fourth by the Tigers with two runs off of a Jacob Jarrell RBI single and a Jacob Hinderleider single off of a jumping McNulty’s glove at shortstop.

McNulty kept the magnet on him in the fifth inning. With two out, three groundballs went his way, and he totaled two errors and an error on the first baseman to tie up the game. McNulty’s throwing error closed out the trio to score two Tigers after bouncing off the dugout and up the right-field line.

On a 1-0 pitch in the sixth inning, Alden Mathes gave Clemson its first lead of the day with a solo home run to center field to lead off the Tigers’ inning at the plate.

BC answered with some two-out action in the seventh inning, with a pair of doubles off Clemson reliever Lucas Mahlstedt from Austin Hartsell and Barry Walsh to tie the game back up.

Eagles senior righty John West left with the rare no-decision after surrendering nine runs (seven earned) over 102 pitches.

With an 0-1 count and Reed Garris (1-1) on the mound for Clemson, Leary tagged his second solo homer of the day to left center to retake the lead for the Eagles in the eighth inning.

Austin Gordon came on in the ninth to tally his ninth save of the season with a perfect frame.

1️⃣7️⃣th HOMER OF THE SEASON FOR @jobertop_4 !

🚀 362 ft
💨107 mph

B3 || BOC 6, CU 4

🖥️ https://t.co/TfmDY1tOrA pic.twitter.com/mq9Qif1yjo
— Clemson Baseball (@ClemsonBaseball) May 16, 2024