Chapel Hill –  Clemson battled for 11 innings Monday night and defeated No. 1 North Carolina 5-4.  Garrett Boulware’s RBI in the eleventh inning gave the Tigers the margin of victory and ended a nine game losing streak to the Heels.

It was the first final game of a weekend series that Scott Firth didn’t start this season, but he still earned the win.  Firth went 4.2 innings and only gave up three hits, no runs and no earned runs.  

Freshman Matthew Crownover got his first “weekend” start of the season.  Crownover went 4.2 innings giving up 7 hits, 3 runs, 3 earned runs with 2 strikeouts and 2 walks.

Kyle Schnell came in to relieve Crownover.  Schnell went 1.2 innings giving up one hit, one run and one earned run.

Once again North Carolina jumped out to an early lead.  In the bottom of the third Landon Lassiter tripled followed by a two-run homerun from Colin Moran.

Clemson got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth.  Garrett Boulware hit a one out double.  Jon McGibbon grounded out to second advancing Boulware to third.  Tyler Krieger hit a single to score Boulware and the Tigers trailed 2-1.

North Carolina added another run in the bottom of the fifth to chase Crownover and take a 3-1 lead.

The Tigers took their first lead of the series in the top of the sixth.  With one out Jon McGibbon singled.  Shane Kennedy walked before Tyler Krieger singled to load the bases.  Thomas Brittle hit a single to right to score McGibbon and Kennedy.  Tyler Krieger scored on a wild pitch to put Clemson on top 4-3.

The Heels came back to tie the game with one run in the bottom of the seventh.

Clemson threatened in the top of the ninth.  With two outs Tyler Slaton walked.  He advanced to second on a wild pitch and third on another.  Steven Duggar walked.  Garrett Boulware hit a shot to center, but right at the center fielder.

The Tigers took the lead again in the top of the eleventh.  Kevin Bradley walked to leadoff the inning.  Jay Baum reached on a bunt single.  Tyler Slaton reached on a bunt single to load the bases.  After Duggar grounded out, Boulware hit a slow grounder to short that put the Tigers on top 5-4.

Clemson moved to 17-11 overall and 6-6 in the ACC with the victory.