Devonte Brown’s two-run single in the seventh inning broke a 6-6 tie and lifted NC State to a 9-7 win over Clemson at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The victory clinched the three-game ACC series for the Wolfpack (2-1) and improved their record to 18-9 overall and 6-5 in conference action. Meantime, Clemson fell to 18-9 on the season and 2-6 in the league. The Tigers have now lost all three ACC series this season and six in a row dating back to the end of the 2021 campaign. Clemson’s last conference series victory was a three-game sweep of Louisville, April 30th through May 2nd of last year.
Noah Soles continued his stellar play against the Tigers by smacking a two-run home run in the second inning to give NC State an early 2-0 lead. For the weekend, the Wolfpack right fielder was 8-of-11 at the plate with four runs scored and seven RBIs. NC State would increase its advantage to 4-0 in the third on a 2-run home run from LuJames Groover III. The sophomore was 3-of-6 on the afternoon with 4 RBIs and two runs scored.
Trailing 4-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth, the Tigers began their rally. Blake Wright belted a two-run homer, his fifth of the year, to narrow the deficit to one before Clemson moved ahead with three runs in the fifth. Tyler Corbitt’s run-scoring double tied the score, then Caden Grice’s groundout scored the go-ahead run. Wright followed with a run-scoring single to double Clemson’s lead. NC State plated two, two-out runs in the sixth inning to tie the score 6-6, setting the table for Brown’s game winning hit in the seventh inning.
Wolfpack reliever Justin Lawson (2-1) earned the win, allowing no runs on just two hits with five strikeouts in 3.1 innings pitched. Chris Villaman worked an inning and a third to record his sixth save of the year. Tiger reliever Ryan Ammons (0-1) suffered the loss, giving up four runs on four hits in 1.1 innings on the mound.
Clemson returns to action Tuesday as the Georgia Bulldogs visit Doug Kingsmore Stadium for a 7pm first pitch on the ACC Network.
