CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In its first game of the ACC Tournament and with a lot on the line, Clemson ultimately fell victim to the 9-2 loss to UNC on Tuesday night at Truist Field. While the Tigers were able to tie the game 1-1 in the second, the Tar Heels scored two more runs off a Clemson fielding error in left, which later proved to be costly. UNC would go on to score six more runs for the eventual 9-2 victory.
With Tuesday’s loss, Clemson has been eliminated from play in the ACC tournament semifinals, making Thursday’s game versus Virginia Tech the likely deciding factor for the Tiger’s postseason fate.
“Our seasons on the line quite honestly,” head coach Monte Lee said. “We’ve got Virginia Tech, one of the best teams in the country, to play on Thursday. We get a day to recover, regroup, and get ready for them and we have to take care of business on Thursday, bottom-line. We’re trying to put our resume in a position to get into the post-season. If we come out and do what we’re capable of doing against a really good club in Virginia Tech and we can find a way to win that game, that’s certainly going to help us.”
The Tar Heels opened up the scoring early in the first. Following Angel Zarate’s leadoff double to right, Danny Serretti launched an RBI single to left to give UNC the 1-0 lead after one.
Clemson quickly came up with its answer though in the second. With runners on the corners and one out, Bryar Hawkins hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Black Wright and evening the score 1-1. The Tar Heels tallied two unearned runs later in the inning following a costly Tiger fielding error in left field that once again gave UNC the lead 3-1.
The Tar Heels tacked on another six runs in Tuesday night’s contest in the third, fourth, fifth, and eighth innings highlighted by Mikey Madej’s solo homer in the third and Vance Honeycutt’s two RBI single in the fourth.
Clemson looked to put something together in the ninth with Will Taylor’s RBI single to left center, but it proved to be too little too late.
With the 9-2 loss, Clemson falls to 35-22 overall and 13-16 in ACC play. UNC starter Max Carlson (2-2) earned the win for the Tar Heels allowing only six hits, one run and one walk with four strikeouts in his six innings of work. Clemson’s Mack Anglin (6-6) tallied the loss in his fifteenth start of the year.
Next up, the Tigers face No. 1 seed Virginia Tech on Thursday in their final game of the ACC Tournament. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.on RSN and ACCNX.
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