DURHAM, NC - What a game! The Tigers were swept by State in Raleigh a few weeks ago, and they had to fight the partisan Pack crowd again on Thursday night in a back-and-forth thriller. Listi singled in the 2nd and scored on a sac fly by Jarrell, who had a huge game, to put the Tigers up 1-0. Titsworth got out of a couple early jams thanks to double plays--the Tigers had 4 of them in the game! State's leadoff man reached base in 6 straight innings, so the double plays were critical to the Tigers' win.
Titsworth gave up 3 straight singles to start the 4th and tie the game 1-1. It looked like he might get out of the jam again thanks to another double play, but a wild pitch gave State its first lead, 2-1. It was a back-and-forth game from that point on, and Crighton led off the 5th with a triple. He scored on a suicide squeeze bunt by Ciufo to tie the game. Cam singled for the 3rd straight time (he singled in his first 4 at bats), and Ciufo scored on a bunt single by Purify to retake the lead 3-2.
State tied the game in the bottom of the 5th after Titsworth walked the leadoff man. The runner scored from 2nd on a swinging bunt due to a bad throw to the plate from 1st by Crighton. Jarrell hit a 2-out, solo HR in the 6th to retake the lead 4-3, but State answered once again. Bailey started the 6th on the mound and gave up a leadoff single, a double and another single to tie the game. Mahlstedt came in from the pen earlier than usual and gave up a single to put State ahead 5-4, still with no outs. However, the Tigers got another big double play, and Mahlstedt got a K to strand the runner at 3rd.
The score stayed 5-4 until the 8th, when Paino hit a leadoff single. He stole 2nd, and Jarrell came through again with a single to tie the game 5-5. Crighton singled, and Wentworth did the same to put the Tigers back on top 6-5. Wentworth was pressed into duty in right field because Gaffney is out with an injury, and Crighton was moved to 1st. Wentworth had a great game on Wednesday, going 2-4 with a double, and he made a couple big plays in the field in this game, including an assist from right to 3rd to save a run. Ciufo followed with a single to give the Tigers an insurance run, up 7-5. Cam had a chance for another run, but after starting the game 4-4, he struck out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the 8th, Mahlstedt gave up a single, hit a batter and gave up another single to make it 7-6. However, he went 1-2-3 in the 9th with a swinging K to end the game!
The Tigers are now 10-1 in one-run games this season. Ironically, their only loss was a few weeks ago in Tallahassee, when Mahlstedt blew a 2-run lead in the 9th to send it to extra innings. He would have set a new Clemson single-season record for saves if he had closed that game. He still has not broken the record, but he has a couple of wins since and is now 3-0 out of the pen this season. Prior to the game, he was named one of 16 semifinalists for National Pitcher of the Year!
The Tigers will play No.1 seed Georgia Tech in the semifinal on Saturday at 1:00. They took 2 of 3 against the Jackets in Atlanta early this season.
Post-game comments from Bakich are below!
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