Tigers' Terrific Sixth Sinks Miami
DURHAM, N.C. (theACC.com) – There were no 17-run innings for Clemson this time around, but the Tigers had ample firepower remaining and used it at a most opportune time.
Seemingly locked in a pitching duel with seventh-seeded Miami, Clemson exploded for six runs on six hits in the bottom of the sixth inning and went on to post a 7-1 victory in the final game of the 2018 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Championship’s Thursday session.
With their tournament wins over Notre Dame and the Hurricanes, the second-seeded Tigers have claimed Pool B and earned a spot in Saturday’s 5 p.m. semifinal game. Clemson will face the winner of Friday night’s NC State-Florida State game for the right to play in Sunday’s noon final.
Miami, playing in its final ACC Baseball Championship under Hall of Fame head coach Jim Morris, slipped to 28-26.
With the score tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Clemson leadoff hitter Drew Wharton sent a 1-0 pitch from Hurricanes starter Jeb Bargfeldt over the Blue Monster in left field for his seventh home run of the year. Bargfeldt struck out the next two hitters, but then yielded back-to-back singles to Jordan Greene and Logan Davidson and was replaced on the mound by reliever Cooper Hammond.
The Tigers didn’t let up. Hammond gave up an RBI single to Kyle Wilkie, prompting another pitching change. Seth Beer’s single off Frankie Bartow upped Clemson’s lead to 4-1 and set the table for Chris Williams. The Tigers’ cleanup hitter launched his second-three run homer of the tournament for the 7-1 margin that would hold up as the final score.
Ryan Miller (6-1), who came on in relief of starter Brooks Crawford in the top of the sixth, picked up the win on the mound for the Tigers. Miller worked the final four innings, allowing four hits while issuing no walks while striking out three.
Bargfeldt (4-5) took the loss for Miami.
Wharton, Wilkie and Beer – who just missed his 21st home run of the year when his towering shot to right field in the third inning was caught at the base of the wall – each had two hits for Clemson.
Michael Burns and Dylan Cloonan each had two hits for Miami. The Hurricanes’ lone run came in the top of fourth when Burns rapped a two-out single and Cloonan followed with a triple to right field.