No. 7 Clemson Sweeps Doubleheader Against Duke

Monday, May 8

Durham, N.C.

1:00 PM

Duke University

Clemson

Blue Devils Travel To Davidson On Wednesday

No. 7 Clemson Sweeps Doubleheader Against Duke

5/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. ? No. 7 Clemson scored 21 runs on 32 hits and held Duke to four runs on eight hits to sweep Monday's doubleheader at Jack Coombs Field. The Blue Devils fall to 14-35 overall and 6-20 in the ACC while the Tigers improve to 35-13 overall and 17-6 in league play.

In game one, third baseman Marquez Smith and first baseman Andy D'Alessio hit back-to-back home runs to break a 4-4 tie in the top of the eighth to lead Clemson to a 7-4 victory.

Duke grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. After center fielder Jimmy Gallagher led off the inning with a double to left center, shortstop Brett Bartles singled up the middle to give the Blue Devils runners on the corners. Bartles then moved to second on a groundout by designated hitter Nate Freiman. Two batters later, Gallagher and Bartles scored on an error by Clemson shortstop Stan Widmann for the first two runs of the ballgame.

Clemson answered with a pair of runs in the top of the second to tie the game at 2-2. Left fielder Tyler Colvin led off with a triple down the right field line before scoring on a sacrifice fly by second baseman Taylor Harbin. Two batters later, D'Alessio tied the game at 2-2, lining a 1-1 pitch to right for his first home run of the game.

The Blue Devils scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-2 lead. With two on and two out, catcher Matt Williams laced a two-run double off the base of the wall in center field, scoring second baseman Javier Socorro and third baseman Adam Murray.

The Tigers would score on an RBI-triple by center fielder Brad Chalk in the fifth and on an RBI-single by catcher Adrian Casanova in the sixth to tie the game at 4-4.

In the top of the eighth, Smith crushed an 0-1 offering over the left field wall to give Clemson the lead for good. D'Alessio followed with his second long ball of the game, driving a 2-0 pitch to right to put the Tigers up 6-4.

Clemson would then add a run in the top of the ninth for the 7-4 victory.

Reliever P.J. Zocchi was the beneficiary of the back-to-back home runs in the eighth as he improved to 4-0 on the season. Closer Daniel Moskos then worked a scoreless ninth to pick up his eighth save of the year.

Duke reliever Andrew Wolcott fell to 1-3 on the year after allowing three runs on four hits in 2.1 innings.

In the nightcap, five Clemson pitchers combined for a three-hit shutout and the Tigers collected 21 hits as they cruised to a 14-0 victory.

Clemson posted six runs on the scoreboard in the opening frame to spark the 14-0 win. After designated hitter Herman Demmink doubled to left center to start the game, Chalk moved Demmink to third with a sacrifice bunt. Right fielder Travis Storrer followed with an RBI-double to left to score Demmink. Colvin then hammered the first pitch he saw over the wall in straightaway center to give the Tigers a three-run advantage. Clemson would later add three more runs in the inning on RBI-singles by D'Alessio and Casanova and on a sacrifice fly by Demmink to take a 6-0 lead.

Chalk added an RBI-single in the top of the third to put the Tigers up by seven. In the top of the fourth, Widmann laced a two-run double down the left field line and Casanova followed with an RBI-double to give Clemson a 10-0 lead.

The Tigers would then score three times in the seventh and once in the ninth for the 14-0 victory.

Clemson starter Stephen Faris held the Blue Devils hitless in 3.0 innings to improve to 6-2 on the season. Relievers Stephen Clyne, Steve Richard, Matt Vaughn and Drew Fiorenza then combined to allow three hits over the next six innings to close out game two.

Duke starter Jim Perry fell to 0-5 after allowing 10 runs on 13 hits in 4.0 innings.

The Blue Devils and Tigers will close out their three-game series tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m.

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