Jacob Hinderleider hit a three-run home run, and Clemson pitching held a hot-hitting Georgia Tech team to just five hits in a 9-3 Tigers victory over the Yellow Jackets Sunday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
It was another series victory for the fourth-ranked Tigers (36-10 overall, 17-7 conference), who won their seventh of eight weekend series in ACC play.
After a solo home run from Payton Green gave Georgia Tech a 1-0 lead in the second inning, Clemson answered in the bottom of the inning. Cam Cannarella drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. Jimmy Obertop and Tristan Bissetta then followed with back-to-back RBI doubles to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.
Cannarella stepped back to the plate in the third inning and brought in Clemson’s third run with a two-out triple down the right field line to score Blake Wright.
The Tigers then erupted for four runs in the fourth inning. They started with three straight singles off Georgia Tech starter Tate McKee, with Nolan Nawrocki singling home a run to make it 4-1. Two outs later, Hinderleider cleared the bases with a three-run bomb to left that brought the score to 7-1. It was Hinderleider’s 10th home run of the season.
Clemson never looked back, tacking on single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Cannarella doubled and scored on an RBI sacrifice fly from Jack Crighton in the fifth before Wright tacked on to the lead with a sac fly that scored Jarren Purify in the sixth for a 9-1 lead.
Clemson pitching held Georgia Tech to just five hits Sunday. Aidan Knaak looked a bit rusty in spots in his first start in two weeks after being held out of the rotation a week earlier at Louisville. He allowed a run on two hits and three walks in four innings of a no-decision. Knaak struck out seven and left after throwing 78 pitches, 48 for strikes.
Billy Barlow, Clemson’s regular midweek starter, took over for Knaak in the fifth and pitched four scoreless innings before allowing a bloop single to Green, followed by a Parker Brosius two-run home run.
Barlow (5-1) surrendered just those two runs on three hits to 17 batters faced to earn the win. He struck out three and walked one. Freshman left-hander Jacob McGovern retired all three batters he faced on 11 pitches in his fifth relief appearance of the season.
McKee (4-4) suffered the loss for Georgia Tech (28-17, 12-12). His final line was six runs allowed in 3 1/3 innings.
Clemson tallied eight hits with Cannarella and Bissetta each finishing 2-for-3.
NEXT UP
The Tigers will travel to Truist Field, the site of this year’s ACC Baseball Tournament, to face Charlotte in midweek play Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. EDT. The game can be seen on ESPN+. Clemson will then head to Winston-Salem for its next weekend series at No. 15 Wake Forest beginning Friday.