Clemson coach Erik Bakich called it “our epic meltdown… followed up by another epic comeback.”
Whatever you want to call it, the fourth-ranked Tigers found another way to rally for a wild victory in ACC play when they scored four ninth-inning runs to cap a thrilling 12-11 series-opening victory over Louisville on Friday night at Jim Patterson Stadium.
Clemson (33-8 overall, 14-5 ACC) allowed 10 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as the Cardinals built an 11-4 lead.
The Tigers slowly began to chip away by adding two runs in the fifth and single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to pull to within three at 11-8.
Then the bats erupted for four runs in the ninth inning, capped by a two-out, go-ahead double from Cam Cannarella to push the eventual winning run across for the latest in a string of wild finishes for the Tigers this season.
After Friday’s series opener, Bakich, Cannarella, and reliever Matthew Marchal spoke briefly about the Tigers’ (latest) improbable come-from-behind victory. Here’s everything they said.