Hurricanes score early and often as Tigers lose ACC opener |
CLEMSON – The Clemson area braced for a line of storms that threatened Friday night’s ACC opener, but no one was prepared for the hurricane that made landfall at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
No. 23 Miami scored early and often in defeating No. 15 Clemson 11-4 Friday night in the Tigers’ first conference game of the season. The Tigers, who have lost three in a row after a 14-0 start, fall to 14-3 overall and 0-1 in ACC play. The Hurricanes improved to 12-5 overall and 3-1 in the ACC. Shortstop Benjamin Blackwell was moved to the leadoff spot as head coach Monte Lee tried to spark his lineup, and he finished with two hits, while Blake Wright homered twice for his first two homers of the season. Clemson pitchers walked nine batters. Clemson starter Mack Anglin ran into trouble right away. After getting a quick first out, Anglin walked the next two Hurricanes. A single to right and a foul out to right scored two runs and Miami led 2-0. Two singles, another walk, and a wild pitch scored two runs for the Canes in the second. ‘ Anglin set Miami down in order in the third, but Miami starter Carson Palmquist was perfect through three innings, and the Canes then chased Anglin in the fourth. The first two batters of the inning walked, and Anglin was removed in favor of reliever Casey Tallent. Tallent walked the first batter he faced – all three walks were on 3-2 counts – and freshman Edgardo Villegas lofted a double down the left-field line that scored two for a 6-0 lead. Anglin’s final line was three innings pitched and he gave up four hits, six runs (all earned), and he walked five while striking out three. He threw 82 pitches but just 43 were strikes. He also saw his ERA rise from 1.71 to 3.75 in those three frames. Another walk and a single scored two more runs for an 8-0 lead, and the Canes added two runs in the sixth and one in the eighth for their 11 runs. The Tigers finally got on the board in the bottom of the eighth. Blake Wright led off the frame with a long home run to left-center field, his first of the season to make it 11-1. Blackwell followed that with a single, his second hit of the night, and two walks loaded the bases. Max Wagner then walked to push in another run that made it 11-2, and a fielder’s choice scored JD Brock with the third run. Wright blasted another long homer in the bottom of the ninth for the final score. The series continues Saturday with a 3 pm first pitch. The Canes send righty Karson Ligon to the mound to face Clemson righty Nick Hoffman. The series concludes Sunday at 1 pm.
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