If Clemson had any chance of winning Sunday’s game against ninth-ranked NC State, it needed a great outing from starting pitcher Pat Krall.

It got that. Krall went the distance in his first career start on the hill, allowing just one run on five hits. That set up Weston Wilson’s base hit up the middle in the bottom of the ninth inning, which allowed Chase Pinder to come home with the game-winning run as the Tigers beat NC State, 2-1, to clinch the series.

“Pat Krall was unreal again for us,” Clemson head coach Monte Lee said. “I think in his last 16 innings he has given up just one run. To win in rubber matches against Florida State and NC State, he has just been unreal. He deserves a tremendous amount of credit for us winning this ballgame today because I thought Ryan Williamson was just as good. He was really, really tough on us.”

It was big win for the Tigers (31-16, 13-14 ACC) as they maintain seventh place in the ACC Standings with one conference series to go at Notre Dame in two weeks.

Pinder started the Clemson ninth with a single through the right side and then moved to second base on an Eli Whte sac bunt down the first-base side. NC State then intentionally walked Seth Beer to get to Chris Okey, who drew a walk to load the bases for Wilson.

With the count 3-1, Wilson took Will Gilbert’s offering up the middle as it got past State’s Joe Dunand to score Pinder from third. It was the Tigers’ second walk-off win of the week and its seventh of the season. It was the second time Wilson hit the game winner in the bottom of the ninth inning for the Tigers.

“I was just looking for a pitch over the plate. I knew he was probably coming fastball because he did not want to walk in the winning run, obviously,” Wilson said. “I was able to do something with it and was able to get the job done.”

As Lee mentioned, Williamson was just as good as Krall for NC State. He pitched 7 2/3 innings, while allowing one run on three hits. Williamson threw just 73 pitches through the first seven innings for the Wolfpack. The lefty had to leave the game in the eighth inning with what appeared to be tightness in his arm.

Clemson broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning when Okey got caught on a pick off between first and second, but NC State first baseman Preston Palmeiro threw the ball into left field, allowing White to score easily from third base.

The Wolfpack (32-14, 13-9) eventually tied the game in the top of the sixth inning when Brock Deatherage ran out an infield hit to second base, allowing Andrew Knizner to come home with the tying run.

Neither Krall nor Williamson faced much adversity early in the game. Krall did give up two walks in the second inning with two outs, but he struck out Chance Shepard, looking, to end the threat.

State had an opportunity to grab the lead in the top of the ninth inning as Josh McLain doubled down the left field line, but Krall was able to keep the run from coming home as he got the next two batters out, and after intentionally walking Evan Mendoza, he got Brett Kinneman to hit into a force at second base to end the inning.

Clemson will host the College of Charleston in a two-game series. Game 1 is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.