Amick, Tigers stay hot in rout of Tar Heels |
CLEMSON – Not even the rain could dampen the hot streak of Clemson baseball or
Billy Amick.
No. 6 Clemson scored six runs in the first two innings, saw Caden Grice, Blake Wright, and Amick each hit homers and dodged the raindrops in a 14-7 victory over North Carolina at Doug Kingsmore Stadium Thursday night. The win came in game one of a three-game series that ends the regular season – the ACC Tournament will be held next week in Durham. Clemson improves to 37-17 overall and 18-10 in ACC play, while North Carolina falls to 33-20 overall and 14-12 in the league. The Tigers have won 16 of their last 18 ACC games and 18 of their last 21 games overall. The Tigers get the chance to win their seventh consecutive league series with a win over North Carolina in one of the final two games. Amick is continuing a hot streak of his own. He reached 8-for-8 status for the week during the game, batting .630 (17-for-27) with 17 RBI in his last six games. The Tigers got started early. Will Taylor reached on a two-out single in the bottom of the first, bringing up Grice. Grice waited back on a 1-1 pitch and launched his 13th homer of the season over the wall in right for a 2-0 lead. Clemson added four more with two out in the second. Blake Wright walked to lead off the frame and moved to second on Benjamin Blackwell’s single. Wright was thrown out at third on Jack Crighton’s bunt attempt, and Blackwell was called out at third on a stolen base attempt for the second out. Cam Canarella delivered an RBI single and Cooper Ingle smoked a run-scoring double down the line in left for a 4-0 lead. Taylor reached on an infield single and Ingle came around to score on a throwing error by the second baseman. Grice moved Taylor to third with a single and Amick finished the scoring with a single to center for the 6-0 lead. UNC’s Johnny Castagnozzi blasted a two-run homer to center for the first runs for the Heels in the fourth, and an inning later delivered an RBI single to make it 6-3. Clemson starter Ethan Darden was removed in the fifth, and he finished the night with 4 2/3 innings pitched, giving up six hits, three runs (all earned), striking out four and walking two. Amick hit his 11th homer of the season – a long drive to left-center – in the bottom of the fifth to make it 7-3. The Tigers put the game out of reach in the sixth, and Amick and Wright were once again in the middle of the action. Ingle and Taylor singled to lead off the frame, and Grice bounced one back to the pitcher, who promptly threw the ball away, allowing Ingle to score and Taylor to move to third. Amick ripped a single to right-center to score Ingle for the 9-3 lead. Riley Bertram laid down a beautiful bunt down the third base line to move both runners into scoring position, and Wright blasted a three-homer to for a 12-3 lead. The homer was his sixth of the season. Wright added a two-run shot in the bottom of the eighth to account for Clemson's final scores. UNC mounted a small rally in the top of the ninth, tacking on four runs on six hits for the final score. The two teams are set for game two Friday evening at 6 pm at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The Florida Man is on the loose 👀@BlakeWr86324186 hits his 6th 💣 of the year‼️ No doubt about that one‼️ One Hunnid Rakes 💯💣 @billyamick
🚀 396 ft
💨 102 mph
B6 || UNC 3, CU 12
🖥 https://t.co/Mrl9jTFnqT pic.twitter.com/LG9KSr1CoH
Make it two dingers for @BlakeWr86324186 tonight! 👏
🚀 402 ft
💨 104 mph
B8 || UNC 3, CU 14
🖥 https://t.co/Mrl9jTEPBl pic.twitter.com/6iy2XjRBFl
🚀 389 ft
💨 110 mph
B5 || UNC 3, CU 7
🖥 https://t.co/Mrl9jTFnqT pic.twitter.com/E7HGU4Pf8T
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