Clemson vs NC State Baseball Recap

NC State 13 - Clemson 8

NC State knocks through an RBI single. The Wolfpack single in another run. North Carolina State squeezes another single through the hole for a score. These are the nightmares that will plague Clemson Tiger pitchers and coach Jack Leggett from a game where Clemson surrendered 7 different RBI singles in a slow, torturous 13-8 loss.   

The Wolfpack banged out 16 hits total in the high-scoring affair. NC State centerfielder Kyle Wilson led the way going 4 for 5 with 4 RBIs. The epitome of the bit-by-bit NC State attack occurred in the sixth inning. The Wolfpack scattered 5 consecutive RBI singles to rally from down 4-3 to up 8-4 – blowing through four different Clemson pitchers along the way.  

In the seventh inning, NC State added a couple insurance runs by a 2-run home run from second baseman Dallas Poulk to bolster the Wolfpack lead to 10-4 at the hitter-friendly NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro, North Carolina. 

But the Tigers did not go quietly into the Wednesday night. After adding a run in the seventh, Clemson roughed up three Wolfpack relievers for earned runs by a Will Lamb pinch-hit, 3-run home run to cut the NC State lead to 10-8. 

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NC State responded accordingly in the ninth inning with, unsurprisingly, 2 RBI singles, and a sacrifice fly RBI as well to regain the 5 run lead at 13-8.  

At the bottom of the inning, Clemson second baseman Mike Freeman earned a walk and leftfielder Jeff Schaus was hit by a pitch to put two on with one out in the ninth. Normally a starter, Wolfpack righthander Cory Mazzoni came in throwing heat – hitting the radar gun at 96 and 94 miles per hour at one point, and he struck out Clemson batters Kyle Parker and John Hinson to finish out the 13-8 NC State win. 

NC State is sitting pretty with a day off coming in the ACC Baseball Championship’s round-robin style of tournament. They will watch as fellow divisional teams Georgia Tech and Virginia play tomorrow before playing Georgia Tech themselves at 8 Eastern on Friday night. Depending on the Virginia Tech/Georgia Tech outcome, NC State can possibly clinch Division B on Friday night for a berth to the ACC Championship with a win (need Georgia Tech to beat Virginia Tech; Hokies to lose to Clemson on Friday).

The two-seeded Tigers’ destiny is now out of their hands with this loss. They have to win out with victories over Virginia Tech, Friday, and Georgia Tech, Saturday – also receive help from those teams by beating NC State twice for Clemson to advance to ACC Championship Sunday.

Clemson’s lineup was hit-or-miss depending on the place in the lineup Wednesday. The top four hitters in the lineup went 9 for 17 with 4 RBIs – the bottom five hitters went 1 for 18. Clemson was missing reigning ACC Player of the Week and centerfielder Wilson Boyd due to a shoulder injury. He was listed as day-to-day before the game.

By: Brandon Rink
DFN Sports Senior Guest Writer