Weston Wilson’s two-out base hit to center field in the bottom of the 10th inning scored Eli White from second base, lifting No. 16 Clemson to a 7-6 victory over Western Carolina on Tuesday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
It marked head coach Monte Lee’s 300th career victory.
It was a crazy night at the ball park. After a one hour and 26 minute delay due to inclement weather before he game even got started, the Tigers and Catamounts played to a 6-6 tie through nine innings. In the bottom of the ninth, with Wilson at the plate, the lights to the stadium went out causing another delay, this time for 21-minutes.
By the time Wilson, who had two RBIs, hit his game-winning hit in the 10th, it was 12:41 Wednesday morning and the game was officially clocked at 4 hours and 24 minutes.
The Tigers (24-9) rallied from three-runs down in the bottom of the eighth inning to tie the game. It marked the fourth time in the last six games the Tigers rallied from two or more runs down late in the game to win it.
Garrett Brown and Matt Smith each had two hits for Western ((17-14), while driving in one run each. J.D. Long had two RBIs.
The Tigers snapped Western’s six-game winning streak. In the last 10 games, the Catamounts have only lost two games, both to Clemson by a total of three runs. With the win, and their victory at Western Carolina back on March 30, the Tigers sweep the season series between the two teams.
Clemson’s Seth Beer had a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to pull the Tigers within one run at the time. It was his 14th of the season. Chris Okey led off the inning with an infield single and scored on the Beer home run.
Beer’s home run tied Kyle Parker for the second most by a freshman in Clemson history. He is now one home run shy from tying Matthew LeCroy’s record of 15 set in 1995.
Clemson tied the game at 6-6 when White doubled to score Jordan Greene from second. Greene reached when Western pitcher, Dylan Biumi missed played Greene’s pop up and let it fall off his glove. Greene made it all the way to second base on the play.
White, who had two hits, drove him home on the next at-bat with his double to left field which ultimately sent the game into extra innings.
Okey finished the night with two hits and one RBI, while Chris Williams had two hits and scored one run. One of his hits was a double. Mike Triller also had a double and drove in a run for the Tigers.
Western Carolina extended its lead to 6-3 in the top of the sixth inning when Long dropped a double right on the left field line to plate two runs.
Before Long’s double, Clemson rallied with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to pull within a run. The Tigers got a hit from Williams and then Triller doubled to left center to score Williams to make the score, 4-1.
Triller later scored on a sacrifice fly by Wilson. Okey then followed with a solo home run to left field to make the score 4-3. It was Okey’s sixth home run of the season.
It was a good answer for the Tigers after giving up two runs in the top of the inning to Western Carolina. Brown and Smith had RBI singles to make the score 4-0 at the time.
The Catamounts scored single runs in the first and fourth innings to take a 2-0 lead. Bryson Bowman had an RBI single to left field with one out in the first inning.
Jake Higginbotham got the start for Clemson. He allowed three earned runs on five hits, while walking three and striking out two.
Clemson had an opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the ninth inning, when it loaded the bases with two outs after the 21-minute delay. Okey drew a two-out walk to keep the Clemson rally going, and then Beer singled down the right field line to move Okey to third base. After Rohlman drew a walk to load the bases, Greene flew out to right field to end the scoring threat, sending the game into extra innings.
Pat Krall got his fifth win of the season after coming in the ninth for Clemson. He is now 5-0 as a relief pitcher.
Clemson travels to No. 6 Louisville for a three-game series which begins on Friday.