Bats power No. 2 Deacs over Tigers in opener

After pitching a scoreless seventh frame, Tristan Smith gave up a 3-run homer in the eighth. (Merrell Mann photo)

by Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - Thu Mar 30 22:08:31 GMT-04:00 2023

CLEMSON - Clemson just could not keep up with the No. 2 Wake Forest Demon Deacons’ high-powered offense in an 8-3 loss in Thursday’s series opener.

Wake Forest (25-3, 8-2 ACC) started out the game with a bang, getting a home run from sophomore Nick Kurtz, his tenth of the season, giving the Deacons a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. After the initial excitement, there was not any scoring for the rest of the first, the entirety of the second and the third. However, the Tigers came just inches from a home run of their own in the bottom of the third. Freshman Jacob Jarrell from Florence hit it deep on the left side. But, sophomore Tommy Hawke for Wake Forest, the shortest player on the team, made a leaping grab to get him out.

Unfortunately for the Tigers (16-11, 2-5), Wake Forest was able to extend their lead after an error by Nathan Hall led to a run. Then, the Demon Deacons hit their second home run of the night from freshman Zach Johnston. Now, Wake Forest had a 5-0 lead. The fifth inning went by without any scoring.

After 96 pitches, Clemson made a pitching change at the top of the sixth inning, taking out right-handed sophomore Austin Gordon and putting sophomore Jay Dill in. He did not allow any runs in his first inning in the game. The Tigers also finally got on the board. Following a double by dual-athlete Will Taylor, junior Caden Grice bunted the ball, singled and an error was committed by Wake Forest to allow Taylor to run home. Shortly thereafter, Grice was able to get home. The inning ended with Wake Forest still on top, 5-2.

In the seventh inning, the score remained the same but the pitcher was different for the Tigers. After one inning with Dill, head coach Erik Bakich took him out and put in freshman Tristan Smith. Smith would not stay in long. In the top of the eighth, the Demon Deacons scored their third home run of the night, bringing the score to 8-2. After that, Smith was taken out and replaced with lefty BJ Bailey. He would finish the game for Clemson.

Responding to Wake Forest’s surge, the Tigers had bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the eighth. Taylor scored once again, but Clemson moved to two outs. With two outs and bases still loaded, redshirt senior Riley Bertram stepped up to the plate and he struck out. So, Wake Forest went into the last inning with an 8-3 lead.

In the bottom of the ninth, the first two Tigers struck out and the final player at bat also went down, to finish out the game.

The series will continue on Friday at 6 p.m. with sophomore left-hander Sean Sullivan starting at pitcher for the Demon Deacons, while Clemson has not named a probable starting pitcher for that game. The Tigers will play their final game in this series against Wake Forest on Saturday at 2 p.m. with a battle of left-handed pitchers with sophomore Josh Hartle starting for the Deacons and Grice starting for Clemson.