Knaak sparkles and suicide squeeze helps Tigers top Pack |
CLEMSON – And just like that, baseball in Clemson is fun again.
Aidan Knaak threw a sparkling two-hit shutout over eight innings and the Clemson offense scored five times in the bottom of the seventh as No. 2 Clemson salvaged the finale of a three-game series with a 7-0 decision at Doug Kingsmore Sunday afternoon. The last complete game shutout for Clemson happened in 2017 when Tyler Jackson blanked Vanderbilt in an NCAA Regional. The win breaks the Tigers' three-game losing streak. They improved to 29-6 overall and 11-5 in ACC play. NC State falls to 20-13 overall and 10-8 in the league. Knaak (3-0) continued to pitch well, building off his previous two starts. He pitched seven innings against both Miami and Notre Dame and allowed a grand total of just one earned run. With the eight shutout innings Sunday, Knaak has allowed just one earned run in his last 22 innings. Both starters were solid into the seventh inning. Knaak didn’t allow a hit until an infield single in the sixth and allowed just two hits through seven innings. NC State starter Cooper Consiglio kept the Tiger bats quiet through the sixth but ran into trouble in the seventh. Alden Mathes led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and Consiglio quickly ran the count to 2-0 on Jimmy Obertop. His 72nd pitch was his last of the day, and righty Heath Andrews replaced him. Andrews threw two straight balls to Obertop, putting runners at first and second with nobody out. That brought up Jacob Hinderleider, who squared to bunt but quickly fell into an 0-2 hole. With the count 1-2, Hinderleider laced a fastball into the gap in right-center, scoring Mathes. Counting the last four innings of Friday’s game and Saturday’s nine innings and Sunday’s first six innings, that run broke a 19-inning scoreless streak for the Tigers. Nolan Nawrocki’s sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position with one out, and Jarren Purify quickly fell into a 1-2 hole of his own. However, Purify lofted a fly ball down the line in right and it fell just inside the line and just out of the reach of the right fielder. Obertop scored on the play, Hinderleider moved to third, and Purify took second on the throw to the plate. It was then time for the most exciting play of the day. With the count 0-1, head coach Erik Bakich put Hinderleider in motion and he broke for the plate for a suicide squeeze. Tryston McCladdie laid down a perfect bunt that died in front of the plate, and as Andrews turned his back to the plate to think about throwing the ball to first, Purify never stopped and slid in under the tag for the Tigers’ fourth run. McCladdie took second on the play. Cam Cannarella lined a single up the middle on the first pitch he saw, scoring McCladdie for a 5-0 lead. The Tigers added two runs in the eighth on a bases-loaded single by Purify and a wild pitch. Austin Gordon pitched the ninth. The Tigers remain at home this week, hosting Charlotte on Tuesday at 5 p.m. (ACCNX). They are back in ACC action this weekend, hosting Pitt for a three-game series starting Friday. TIGERS STRIKE FIRST! 😤@JHinderleider7 comes through in the clutch with an RBI single! 🐾 MAKE IT 7 SCORELESS AND 8 STRIKEOUTS FOR @aidan_knaak 😱 TWO RUNS ON A SQUEEZE PLAY??? 🤯 Another Sunday means another impressive start for @aidan_knaak. His final line... .@aidan_knaak tied his career-high with 🔟 strikeouts in today's victory! pic.twitter.com/DkeuHGhiw6
B7 || NCS 0, CU 1
📺 https://t.co/BPeTxJQcul pic.twitter.com/fn5Rmy5BSS
M7 || NCS 0, CU 0
📺 https://t.co/BPeTxJQcul pic.twitter.com/h2bsGjkTVs
Unbelievable hustle by @JarrenPurify!
B7 || NCS 0, CU 4
📺 https://t.co/BPeTxJQcul pic.twitter.com/AtNucfPFoc
8.0 IP (career high)
2 H (both infield singles)
0 R
1 BB
10 K (ties career high)
E8 || NCS 0, CU 7@austin_gordon8 in the game to pitch for the Tigers. pic.twitter.com/NK0sXU5xwg
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