DOUG KINGSMORE STADIUM: The 27th out in the top of the ninth inning eluded Clemson pitching for too long, and West Virginia pitching was just able to get the 27th out in the bottom of the ninth. That made the difference in a 9-6 Mountaineer victory that puts West Virginia in the driver’s seat of the Clemson Regional.
West Virginia moves to the regional final needing just one more win to advance to the Super Regional. Clemson and Kentucky will play in the elimination bracket at Noon Sunday, and one of them will have to win three games to advance to the next round.
The ninth inning proved to be the Tigers’ undoing this time after rallying from a a 4-0 deficit after five and a half innings. The Tigers tied the game with four runs in the sixth, and took the lead with a run in the bottom of the seventh. West Virginia tied the game in the top of the eighth, and it stayed that way until there were two outs in the top of the ninth.
It looked like it was going to be an easy inning for Clemson closer Lucas Mahlstedt (4-1) . On four pitches he induced two ground ball outs. Then came his undoing. Mahlstedt walked Grant Hussey on a 3-1 count. The next six batters all reached base against Mahlstedt and reliever Joe Allen, and the end result was four runs on four hits and two hit batters.
BJ Bailey had to come in to get that 27th out for Clemson with the bases full of Mountaineers.
Now it was Clemson’s turn to create some two-out magic. Cam Cannarella, who had four hits on the night, lit the fire with a single. Jarren Purify walked and Dominic Listi was hit by a pitch, and the Tigers had the bases loaded.
When Collin Priest walked on a 3-2 pitch to force in a run, and the count went to 2-0 on Jack Crighton, the remaining Clemson fans could feel something special brewing in the air. West Virginia then brought in junior lefthanded Ben McDougal (2). He quickly evened the count with Crighton with two heaters, then went to ball three. Next came an 84 MPH change that Crighton could not connect on, and McDougal had the strikeout, and the 27th out, Clemson was not able to get soon enough.
West Virginia jumped on Clemson ace Aiden Knaak for three runs on three hits in the top of the first. After that, Knaak settled in and didn’t allow another run until the fifth. Meantime, Mountaineer starter Jack Kartsonas shut out the Tigers on one hit through five.
Clemson finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run homer by Cannarella, his second home run of the regional. He has seven hits and seven RBIs in the two games. After striking out Purify, Kartsonas was replaced by Carson Estridge, and that was good news for Clemson.
Estridge hit Listi with a pitch and walked Priest and was lifted for Reese Bassinger, the winner in Friday’s victory over Kentucky. Crighton greeted him with an RBI double. Jacob Jarrell followed with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 4-4. TP Wentworth popped up to third to strand Crighton at second.
After West Virginia stranded runners at first and second in the top of the seventh off of reliever Reed Garris, the Tigers took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Andrew Ciufo tripled to left center with one out, and Cannarella drove him in with a double to left. When the Mountaineers’ shortstop muffed a ground ball from Purify, and Listi followed with a single, the Tigers had the bases loaded with one out.
Chase Meyer (9-2) came out of the bullpen to face the lefthanded power hitting Priest, and he induced a ground ball to the shortstop who was playing in a shift to the right of second base, and he turned the double play to end the inning.
Clemson was now six outs away from advancing in the winner’s bracket, and Garris got the first two outs in the eighth. This was his first appearance since tweaking his back in the Duke series on May 9th, and Clemson coach Erik Bakich had only planned to use him for an inning. But he sent him back out for a second inning. After giving up a single, Garris was pulled for Mahlstedt after 21 pitches, 16 for strikes.
Bakich said after the game he felt it was the right move to get his closer in at that point, despite the fact Mahlstedt gave up a homer on his first pitch on Friday night against Upstate. This time, Armani Guzman ripped Mahlstedt’s first pitch for a run scoring double that tied the game at 5-5.
The Tigers went down in order in the bottom of the eighth, and that set the table for the ninth inning drama.
Clemson, which is now 45-17, will start freshman lefthander Talan Bell against Kentucky. He’s made seven starts this season, and is 0-1 with a 3.98 ERA. The Wildcats stayed alive by defeating Upstate 7-3 in an elimination game earlier on Saturday. Freshman righthander Nate Harris is expected to start for Kentucky. He’s 4-2 with a 4.22 ERA.
One injury question for Kentucky is the health of star shortstop Tyler Bell. He missed Saturday’s game after fouling a ball off of his kneecap in the loss to West Virginia on Friday.
Box Score
Erik Bakich and Andrew Ciufo postgame
