After trailing by six runs through four innings on Sunday, No.16 Clemson rallied to tie the game thanks to a grand slam from Justin Hawkins in the bottom of the fifth inning. But Duke’s Matt Mervis’ lead-off home run in the top of the ninth inning lifted the Blue Devils to a 9-8 win at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, completing a weekend sweep.

Clemson has not been swept in a three-game series to Duke since 1909, and  it is the first time the Blue Devils have swept the Tigers in any season since 1962 when Duke won both games.

The loss was also the seventh in a row for the Tigers, who have not lost seven in a row since 2008, the only season under Jack Leggett they did not make the NCAA Tournament.

Jacob Hennessy got his first weekend start of the year for Clemson.  Hennessy went three innings and gave up seven hits, five runs and four earned runs.

Duke (24-16, 11-10 ACC) took the lead in the first inning when Kennie Taylor hit a home run to left just over the reach of Grayson Byrd.

The Tigers responded in the bottom of the first, when Kyle Wilkie singled to center to score Logan Davidson, tying the game at 1 after one inning of play.

In the top of the second inning, Duke’s Rudy Maxwell hit a two-out, run-scoring single, then Joey Loperfido belted a two-run homer. After the Blue Devils scored a run in the third inning, they took advantage of a costly Tiger error in the top of the fifth inning to score three runs, the last two on Chase Cheek’s two-run triple, to take an 8-2 lead.

Clemson plated one run in the bottom of the second inning when Sam Hall singled to score Davis Sharpe, who led off the Tigers’ second with a single up the middle.

The Tigers (25-15, 11-10 ACC) stormed back in the bottom of the fifth when they scored six runs with two outs. Grayson Byrd hit a solo home run. Then Wilkie walked and advanced to second on a Bryar Hawkins single. Bo Majkowski walked to load the bases. Sharpe was hit by a pitch to score Wilkie. Then Justin Hawkins crushed a 447-foot grand slam over the Chapman Grandstands in left field to tie the game at 8.

Sam Weatherly came in and settled things down for Clemson. Weatherly went 2 2/3 innings without giving up a hit.

Carson Spiers, who gave up the game-winning home run to Mervis, finished the game going 2 1/3 innings, while giving up two hits, one run and one earned run. He was charged with the loss.

The Tigers hope to snap their seven-game losing streak when they host Winthrop Tuesday night at 6 p.m., at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.