DURHAM, N.C. — Sometimes to be a champion you have to wait for the right moment. That was the case for the Clemson Tigers on Sunday.
After being told on Saturday afternoon the ACC Championship Game would be a 10 a.m. start, the Tigers waited an extra hour to play due to inclement weather from Tropical Strom Bonnie before its date with Florida State began at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Once it did, Clemson jumped out to a three-run lead in the top of the first inning. Then came more rain and a subsequent 13-minute delay, but when play resumed the Tigers added five more runs in the top of the second inning and another five in the third to extend the lead to 12 runs. However, they had to wait again, this time for two hours and 41 minutes before play started back.
In the end, Clemson’s patients paid off as the Tigers won their first ACC Championship since 2006 with an 18-13 victory over Florida State. Clemson scored three runs in the first and then five each in the second, third and fourth innings to build an 18-1 advantage.
The game was delayed for one hour and 54 minutes after the eighth inning due to bad weather. Overall, there were three delays that lasted a total of four hours and 48 minutes.
Alex Bostic came out of the bullpen for starter Brooks Crawford to earn the win. After Crawford gave up four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, Bostic came in with no outs and slammed the door on the ‘Noles. The lefty stuck out eight batters and gave up just one hit in four innings of work for the Tigers.
With the win, Clemson (42-18) locks up one of the nation’s top eight seeds when the NCAA Tournament Field is announced on Monday.
The 16 regional sites for the tournament will be announced tonight at 8:30 p.m.
With the win over the Seminoles (37-20), Clemson also won its 10th ACC Championship, the most all-time, and its 15th overall when you include the five conference championships when there was no conference tournament. The Tigers 15 overall championships are also the most in ACC history.
Clemson took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Chris Okey bombed a shot off the wall in left field with one out. The double scored Chase Pinder, who reached on an error, and then Seth Beer came home from third when Florida State centerfielder Ben DeLuzio threw the ball away at third.
Catcher Cal Raleigh backed up the play, but in his attempt to get Beer out at home plate the ball shot into right field, allowing Okey to come home for the third run.
The Seminoles did get a run back in the bottom of the first when Raleigh flied out to left field to score Taylor Wall, who led off the inning with a walk.
The Tigers extended their lead to 8-1 in the top of the second inning as Pinder had a sacrifice RBI to left field and Eli White singled through the left side to score Chris Williams. After Jordan Greene scored on a fielder’s choice to make the score 6-1, Reed Rohlman singled through the right side to score two, Okey and White, for the seven-run advantage.
Clemson poured it on some more in the top of the third inning before a rain delay stopped the game for a second time. With one out, Pinder tripled to right centerfield to plate Weston Wilson, Mike Triller and Williams for an 11-1 lead.
The lead jumped to 12-1 when White doubled through the left side to score Pinder. Then Beer drove White home with an RBI single up the middle.
Williams, White and Okey all hit doubles in the top of the fourth inning, driving in five more runs, as the Tigers extend its lead to 18-1.
Florida State made things interesting after Okey’s hit. The Seminoles scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth and then after Bostic left the game, they scored eight runs in the bottom of the eighth off relievers Ryley Gilliam, Alex Schnell and Paul Campbell.
Clemson catcher Chris Okey (25) celebrates after scoring in the ACC Championship game on Sunday with his teammates Seth Beer (28), Chase Pinder (5) and Reed Rohlman (26). (photo by Robert MacRae)
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