CLEMSON, S.C. – In a back-and-forth high-scoring affair, No. 4 Clemson (33-5, 11-3 ACC) punched last with a run in the sixth inning to break a 10-10 tie and earn an 11-10 victory over Stanford (18-14, 5-12 ACC) on Saturday from Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
The Tigers scored their 11 runs on 14 hits – including five doubles and three home runs. The game-winner proved to be a solo home run from Jacob Jarrell off Sam Garewal leading off the bottom of the sixth.
Stanford utilized an opener on the mound to start the game, handing the ball to sophomore right-hander Ryan Speshyock. The hope was to get Speshyock through two innings before turning to regular starter Christian Lim. Speshyock got just one out, allowing three runs on one hit and two walks, and Stanford was forced to run another reliever to the mound. Toran O’Harran got through the remainder of the first, but ran into trouble in the second before eventually being tagged for five runs on five hits over one inning. Ty Uber was next to pitch for Stanford, recording the final two outs of the second inning to bridge the gap to Lim.
The left-hander was impressive, tossing two scoreless innings with two strikeouts, but left the game with an apparent injury.
Returning to the bullpen arms with the Cardinal now leading 10-8, Trevor Moore allowed two runs on four hits in one inning before Garewal allowed the go-ahead home run but limited the damage to just that one run over his two frames. Stanford’s closer Aidan Keenan kept the deficit at one, hanging a zero in the eighth, but Stanford’s offense was unable to draw back even despite putting two runners aboard in the ninth.
The Cardinal did all its damage in the second through fourth innings, scoring five in the second, two in the third and three in the fourth.
Juniors Trevor Haskins and Ethan Hott led the way offensively, with Haskins finishing 4-for-6 with two runs scored, his 10th homer of the year and three RBIs. With the Cardinal trailing 3-0 after one inning, Hott got the scoring started for Stanford in the five-run second, punching a two-out, two-RBI single into left-center field. Haskins followed with an RBI-single of his own before an error charged to TP Wentworth in right field allowed another run to score. Freshman Tatum Marsh capped the inning with an RBI-single into left field as Stanford led 5-3 after an inning-and-a-half.
After Clemson punched back with five runs of its own in the home half of the second to reclaim an 8-5 lead, Haskins’ two-run homer cut the deficit to one at 8-7.
The Cardinal took its second lead of the night in the fourth, plating the tying run on an RBI-double from Jimmy Nati, and the go-ahead runs on another two-out, two-RBI single from Hott.
The Tigers scored the game’s final three runs, tying the contest at 10-10 on a homer from Josh Paino and an RBI-single from Dominic Listi in the fifth inning, and taking the lead on Jarrell’s ninth round-tripper of the season in the sixth.
The Cardinal had a golden opportunity to tie the game in the seventh off Clemson closer Lucas Mahlstedt as Brandon Larson contributed a pinch-hit double and was replaced by the speedy Saborn Campbell on the bases. A bunt single from Hott put runners at the corners with nobody out, but Haskins was called out on strikes after a pitch clock violation, Temo Becerra was retired on a safety squeeze without plating the run, and Rintaro Sasaki struck out looking.
Mahlstedt was eventually credited with his 12th save after tossing three shutout frames and allowing four runs with five strikeouts.
Stanford will look to salvage the series and avoid a fourth consecutive sweep in ACC play on Sunday when it sends right-hander Matt Scott to the mound for a noon PT first pitch.
GAME NOTES:
- Stanford has dropped 11 straight ACC games after previously being swept by Cal, Virginia and No. 25 Georgia Tech
- Nine of Stanford’s 10 runs came with two outs
- Both teams left 11 runners on base
- Stanford used seven pitchers in the loss with the seven combining for nine walks and 10 strikeouts
- Trevor Haskins (4-for-6, 2 R, 2B, HR, 3 RBIs) fell a triple short of the cycle … has hit safely in all but four of his games played this season and has reached in 13 straight … matched his career high in hits
- Ethan Hott (3-for-5, 2 R, 4 RBIs) matched his career high in hits and set a new career high in RBIs
- Tatum Marsh (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI) has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games … has now reached in 28 straight contests and has a hit in all but seven of his games played
- Brady Reynolds (3-for-5, 2 R, 2 2B, RBI) has multiple hits in five of his last seven games … matched his career high in hits and doubles