CLEMSON – The heroics of erasing a 8-1 deficit Saturday looked like a once-in-a-season occurrence. Sunday proved that’s just routine for Blake Wright and the Clemson Tigers.
Facing a nine-run difference, the No. 4 Tigers stormed back to sweep No. 12 Florida State in the series finale 14-12 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
Home runs were the early storyline as the Seminoles hit five out of the park. That was until the shadow of the previous day’s comeback became very large and the visitors watched its dark fate unfold again.
Aidan Knaak got the start for Clemson and looked impressive in four frames, but the second inning was the game’s decider. Florida State had four hits in the inning and scored five runs to take a commanding lead. The freshman finished with 5.0 innings, six earned runs and seven strikeouts.
James Tibbs III led the way for the Seminoles offense, delivering a three-run home run in the second before a solo shot in the fifth inning.
The Tigers showed first life in the fourth inning as Alden Mathes hit a two-run shot, scoring Blake Wright. The latter extended his hit streak to 10 games in the process.
Mathes had an impressive day with three hits and two RBI’s. It was his second three-hit outing of the series. He also robbed a home run in the seventh to end the frame.
Momentum didn’t last on the home side as Florida State’s Cam Smith and Alex Lodise each added two-run homers in the sixth. That looked like the game sealer but Clemson had one more run in it.
After having trouble finding momentum against Conner Whittaker, the Tigers put up four earned runs against him in the sixth before he was pulled. Clemson had seven hits in the frame and cut the lead to four and create some drama.
The pitching staff for both teams dug deep as a collective 11 pitchers were used throughout the comeback. The Seminoles were flustered in the seventh as it walked two batters home, making it a 11-9 game with the bases loaded, setting the stage for Wright.
To the surprise of no one who’s watched him as of late, Wright slammed a 1-1 pitch for a no-doubt grand slam that followed with a massive crowd pop from the Tigers faithful.
It’s his ninth home run in 10 games and put Clemson over the top at 13-11. Wright is also up to 29 RBI’s over that stretch. Andrew Ciufo added an RBI single for insurance in the eighth.
Rob Hughes took the mound for the final two innings, putting the closing touches on the seventh-straight win for Erik Bakich’s team. With the victory, the Tigers could be in line as the top team in the country.
Following the series sweep of previously undefeated Florida State, Clemson is back in action Tuesday at home, taking on Coastal Carolina. That game is set for a 6 p.m. first pitch.