Sunday was a day that started out dreary with light rain showers in Clemson. Instead of rain, it would end in fireworks at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. In the bottom of the ninth, Logan Davidson sent a two-run home run to right field that gave Clemson a 5-4 walk-off victory over #3 North Carolina.
While the first three innings were quiet, things started heating up in the fourth.
The Tar Heels first broke through in the fourth inning as Caleb Roberts reached second base off of an error in the outfield by Kier Meredith. Brandon Martorano scored Roberts on a two-out single and gave North Carolina a 1-0 lead.
Clemson would answer in the bottom of the fifth on a solo home run by Bryce Teodosio to leftfield. Later in the same inning, Logan Davidson hit an RBI double that scored Sam Hall and gave Clemson then 2-1 lead.
North Carolina would tie the game at 2 in the sixth inning with a solo home run from Aaron Sabato. Following the score, Monte Lee made a pitching change and brought Holt Jones out of the bullpen.
Freshman Keyshawn Askew pitched great in his first weekend start for the Tigers. Askew’s final line: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, and 3 K.
The Tar Heels would later take a 4-2 lead in the eighth off of a pair of RBI hits from Roberts and Danny Serretti.
Clemson mounted a small comeback in the bottom of the eighth with a pair of singles from Grayson Byrd and Kyle Wilkie. Later in the inning, Byrd would score on a passed ball, but that would be all the runs the Tigers could muster up in that inning.
The Tigers were down one run entering the bottom of the ninth. Sam Hall, who lead the way for the Tigers on Saturday, hit a two-out double to leftfield. In the next at-bat, on a 2-2 count, Logan Davidson walked it off for the Tigers with a two-run homer to the Cajun Cafe.
Monte Lee had high praise for his junior shortstop postgame saying, “Logan gets to two strikes, and he does what big time players do in big time situations.”
This was the first Clemson sweep of North Carolina since 1997. The Tigers did it 22 years ago on the same field, and with the same score as today. It was also a walk-off home run victory.
With the win, Clemson improves to 12-3 overall and 3-0 in ACC play. The Tigers will be in action again on Wednesday at 6pm hosting #17 Coastal Carolina.