CLEMSON — Cam Cannarella’s sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth inning proved to be the deciding run as top-seeded Clemson held off third-seeded Coastal Carolina, 4-3, in Game 4 of the Clemson Regional Saturday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

The Tigers (43-14) are now 2-0 in regional play for the first time since 2011.

Aidan Knaak went six strong, Jacob Hinderleider had five hits and scored a run, while Cannarella drove in three, to help lead the Tigers to the win.

Knaak held the Chanticleers to just two runs on six hits, while striking out six and not walking a batter in six innings of work. Lucas Mahlstedt came on in relief in the seventh inning, holding Coastal to just one run across 1 2/3 innings.

Freshman Jacob McGovern came in for a situational at-bat and struck out Coastal’s Dean Mihos for a big out in the bottom of the eighth inning. McGovern earned the win to improve to 3-0. Austin Gordon, who came on in the ninth, was awarded his 10th save of the season.

Hinderleider led the way at the plate, going 5-for-5, while Cannarella was 1-for-4 with the three huge RBI. He finished the game with three RBIs.

The Tigers wasted no time getting on the board, plating an unearned run in the first on a sacrifice fly to deep right by Blake Wright.

Clemson tacked on another in the top of the third. After loading the bases with nobody out, Cannarella lined one out to right-center, but a sliding catch by Mihos in center robbed the lefty, and only one run scored.

Coastal (35-24) got on the board in the bottom of the third, as Sam Antonacci hit a solo shot out to right, his sixth home run of the season, pulling the Chants to within one run.

The score remained that way until the bottom of the sixth inning, when Coastal executed a squeeze play with runners on the corners and just one out. Knaak fielded the ball cleanly, but Obertop dropped the ball while trying to apply the tag and the runner was safe, as the Chanticleers tied the score at 2-2.

The Tigers answered in the top of the seventh, as Cannarella’s two-out single back up the middle, plated Hinderleider to put Clemson right back on top 3-2. Prior to the hit, the Tigers had been 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

Then in the bottom of the seventh, Zack Beach took Mahlstedt’s first pitch out deep to right, tying it right back up at 3-3. It was Beach’s 17th homer and 58th RBI of the season.

STAT OF THE GAME

Both teams struggled to hit with runners in scoring position, The Tigers were just 1-for-8, while the Chants were 0-for-4.

UP NEXT

Top-seeded Clemson will play the winner of Sunday’s elimination game between Coastal and High Point at 6 p.m..