Ninth-Inning Rally Propels Tigers Past Blue Devils

Saturday, April 9

Jack Coombs Field

1:00 PM

Duke University

Clemson

Ninth-Inning Rally Propels Tigers Past Blue Devils

4/9/2016 5:16:00 PM | Baseball

BASE vs. CLEMSON: Zyla RBI Triple BASE vs. CLEMSON: Pollard Interview BASE vs. CLEMSON: Herron RBI Double Box Score (PDF)Box Score (HTML)

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. – Down to the final out, Clemson's Chris Okey belted a two-run triple in the top of the ninth to propel the Tigers past Duke, 3-2, on a blustery afternoon at Jack Coombs Field.

Duke (16-15, 5-9 ACC) plated two second-inning runs and led until the final frame. All three Clemson (23-8, 8-6 ACC) baserunners in the ninth reached with two outs. With runners at first and second following a throwing error and a walk, Okey delivered a ball to the right center gap just out of the reach of Duke center fielder Evan Dougherty.

“What hurt us more than anything there was the walk to [Jordan] Greene,” said head coach Chris Pollard. “We've got to force him to swing the bat in that situation rather than pitching to [Chris] Okey. We got Okey 0-2 and just missed the spot. Credit Okey with taking advantage of it. We left the pitch a little bit elevated. [Evan] Dougherty was really close to getting that ball. He covered a lot of ground in a tough wind and just couldn't quite get there.”

The Tigers' Pat Krall entered the game in the bottom half and picked up his second save of the season. The win marked Clemson's sixth of the 2016 campaign when trailing after seven innings.

Duke scored both its runs in the bottom of the second. Freshman Zack Kone singled and scored on Peter Zyla's RBI triple to the right field corner. After Michael Smiciklas drew a one-out walk, Jimmy Herron doubled to right to knock him in.

The Blue Devils were unable to add to their lead the rest of the way, getting just two more baserunners over the final six frames. Clemson starter Charlie Barnes (3-3) pitched well in the win, allowed the two runs on four hits over eight complete innings. Barnes struck out three, walked one and hit one batter.

“[Barnes] really settled in and pitched well for them,” Pollard said. “We strung together some good at bats there in the second inning. Really from that point forward he didn't make many mistakes. We weren't able to string anything together to build off that lead.”

Up 2-0, the Blue Devil pitching staff had held the vaunted Clemson bats in check for much of the afternoon. After starter Trent Swart departed with the bases loaded in the third, graduate student Kellen Urbon entered and successfully worked out of the jam.

Urbon tossed 4.2 innings in total, permitting one run in the fifth while striking out three. He did not walk a batter and surrendered four hits.

“We played really well defensively and pitched well,” Pollard added. “Kellen Urbon threw a great ballgame. Came in and picked up Trent [Swart] in the third inning. We made a lot of really good plays to get off the field; we just needed one last play.”

Reed Rohlman came up with an RBI base knock with two outs in the fifth to plate Clemson's first run. The Tigers had three singles in the frame, including base hits by Jordan Green and Okey.

Clemson was 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and had stranded 11 until the ninth. Sophomore Mitch Stallings (1-2) retired the first two Tiger batters before Clemson rallied with two outs. Both ninth-inning Tiger runs were unearned.

Duke and Clemson meet in the series finale Sunday, April 10 at Jack Coombs Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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