Wake Forest University
Clemson
Seventh Inning Costs Deacons in Loss to No. 20 Clemson
3/13/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeBaseball)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Gavin Sheets recorded his first-career multi-homer game, but No. 20-ranked Clemson used an eight-run seventh inning to come from behind and beat Wake Forest, 13-8, to clinch the series on Sunday afternoon at David F. Couch Ballpark.
After Ben Breazeale and Sheets added solo home runs in the fifth and sixth to give the Demon Deacons (11-6, 1-2 ACC) an 8-4 lead, the Tigers (12-3, 2-1 ACC) capitalized on free baserunners and hit a pair of homers in an eight-run inning.
Clemson opened the inning with three walks, a hit by pitch and a single before Chris Okey hit a grand slam to take a 10-8 lead, and Weston Wilson added a two-run homer two batters later to make the score 12-8.
The Tigers added another run in the eighth on a walk, groundout, flyout and wild pitch to plate their ninth unanswered run.
Wake Forest totaled 10 hits offensively. In addition to Sheets, Jonathan Pryor reached base three times, including two hits and two RBIs. Stuart Fairchild scored two runs on two hits and was robbed of a third on a diving catch by Clemson right fielder Seth Beer, who hit his fourth homer of the weekend.
On the mound, John McCarren was solid in relief for the Deacs, throwing 1.0 innings and not allowing a run, including a key strikeout after entering in the fifth to leave the bases loaded.
For the second consecutive game, Beer opened the scoring for Clemson with a second inning solo home-run. Wilson followed with a single and scored on a double by first basemen Andrew Cox to give Clemson an early 2-0 lead.
Wake Forest answered back immediately in the bottom half of the inning, sending nine men to the plate to take the lead. Fairchild led off with a double and came around to score on Kevin Conway's single up the middle. Johnny Aiello followed with an RBI single, and after a perfect sacrifice bunt from Drew Freedman put two runners in scoring position, Pryor drove them in with a single up the middle to give the Deacs a 4-2 lead after two.
The lead did not hold long, as Clemson loaded the bases with no outs in the third and came away with two runs to tie the game at four.
However, the Demon Deacons continued the scoring in the bottom of the third inning, as Fairchild scored again on a two-run homer from Sheets.
Clemson loaded the bases again in the fifth against Deacon starter Drew Loepprich, but McCarren entered the game and recorded a key strikeout to end the Clemson threat.
The Tiger bullpen was strong for the second straight day, allowing two runs on four hits over 6.2 innings, while Wake Forest's relented nine runs in 4.1 frames.
Wake Forest has a pair of midweek games this week, playing host to High Point on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before traveling to Charlotte on Wednesday evening.
