May 14, 2005
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Clemson first basemen Andy D'Alessio went 3-for-6 with a three run home run and six RBI, while scheduled game three starter Josh Cribb picked up the victory with 3.0 innings of relief as the Tigers rallied from an seven-run deficit to get past Wake Forest, 17-14, in 11 innings of ACC baseball action from Hooks Stadium Saturday afternoon. With the victory, Clemson improves to 32-19 overall and 17-9 in the ACC, while the Demon Deacons fall to 23-25 overall and 11-15 in the conference. Senior Ben Ingold led the Deacs at the plate going 6-for-6 with four runs scored. Ingold is the first Demon Deacon to register six hits in a game since Ryan Hubbard set the school record with seven against Maryland on March 16, 2003. Senior Ryder Mathias went 2-for-4 with his 10th home run of the season and four RBI. Mathias has now belted four home runs and driven in 12 this week alone. In fact, Mathias has seven home runs over his last seven games. Redshirt sophomore Brendan Enick had a grand slam and drove in a career-best five, while freshman Brett Linnenkohl smacked a two-run home run and drove in three. Senior J.B. Tucker went 3-for-6 with three runs scored. Trailing 13-6 heading into the sixth inning, the Tigers began to make noise. After Wake Forest starter Josh Ellis retired the leadoff batter in the sixth, Clemson followed with three straight singles -- two off Ellis and one off reliever Eric Niesen for one run. Ben Hall followed with a sacrifice fly to make the score 13-8. The Tigers drew even closer in the eighth inning. The first two Tigers of the inning reached on a walk and hit by pitch. After Hall popped out, Travis Storrer singled in Tyler Colvin to cut the Deacs lead to four runs, 13-9. In came Wake Forest closer Kyle Young, but D'Alessio greeted Young with a three-run home run on his first pitch making the deficit just a single run, 13-12.
Clemson then took the lead in the top of the ninth off Young. After an Ingold error at second base led off the frame, Taylor Harbin singled. Young then got Harbin out at second base on a fielder's choice. With runners on the corners and one out, Hall singled in Brad Chalk, but Wake Forest centerfielder Matt Miller bobbled the ball in the outfield which then allowed Colvin to race home which gave the Tigers a 14-13 lead. The Deacs had a golden opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the ninth inning. After Cribb entered the game in the ninth, Ingold laced a single to left field for his career best sixth hit of the game. Tucker followed with another single, putting runners on first and second with just one out. Mathias followed with a single tying the game at 14-14. The gamewinning run was just 90-feet away with one out. Cribb battled back to strikeout Enick for the second out of the inning. The Tigers then chose to walk Miller and load the bases with two outs. The decision paid off when junior Casey Sterk smacked a bullet that appeared headed for right field, but D'Alessio ranged toward second base and gloved the ball. With the fleet Sterk racing toward first, the first basemen had one play and was able to force Miller out at second base keeping the game tied at 14-14 and sending it into extra innings. The Tigers put the game away with off the Deacs' fifth pitcher of the afternoon. Tim Morley, who missed a month earlier this season with a shoulder injury and left Tuesday's start without retiring a batter, was forced into action in the 11th inning. After Hall doubled and Storrer walked, D'Alessio stepped to the plate and laced a two-run double giving the Tigers a 16-14 lead. Herman Demmink added an insurance run with an RBI single to close the scoring at 17-14. Mathias led off the Demon Deacons 11th inning with a hit by pitch. Crib then struckout Enick for the second straight at bat. D'Alessio then post marked his day -- starting a gorgeous 3-6-3 double play to end the game. Cribb worked 3.0 innings and allowed just one earned run on three hits. The junior, who recorded a shutout on Monday against Virginia Tech, improved to 5-4 on the season. He struckout three and walked two. In addition to D'Alessio's effort, Harbin added four hits, Chalk chipped in with three more and Adrian Casanova had three hits and four RBI. In all, the Tigers had season-highs in both hits (23) and runs (17). Storrer went 3-for-5 with four runs scored and an RBI extending his hitting streak to 15 games. Morely was charged with the loss. The southpaw pitched 0.2 innings and allowed three earned runs on two hits. Morley walked two and did not strikeout a batter. After Clemson grabbed an early 3-0 lead off Ellis, the Deacs thundered back with six runs in the bottom of the third inning -- the huge swing coming off the bat of Enick. After Clemson starter Kris Harvey loaded the bases with no outs on a pair of hit batsmen, Enick belted the 1-0 offering from P.J. Zocchi for a grand slam. The added two more runs when Linnenkohl smacked a two-run home run off Zocchi to give the Deacs a 6-3 lead. The Tigers tied the game at 6-6 in the top of the fourth inning on Casanova's three run home run to right center field. The inning could have gone quiet differently had Ellis' not uncorked a wild throw to second base on a taylor made double play ball with one out. Instead of the inning being over without any damage, Casanova brought the Tigers level. Wake Forest regained the lead with four runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth inning to take a convincing 13-6 lead. David Kopp pushed in three runs in the fourth with walks and Mathias drilled a three-run blast to center field to close the scoring in the fifth inning. Wake Forest returns to action Sunday afternoon with the finale of the three-game series against the Tigers. First-pitch at Hooks Stadium is scheduled for 1:00 pm. The game will be broadcast live on WBRF-FM (98.1) and is available on the internet at WakeForestSports.com through the Yahoo subscription service. Live stats will be also available at WakeForestSports.com via Gametracker. -- WakeForestSports.com -- |
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