CLEMSON,
S.C.�€"Stan Widmann's two-run single capped a
three-run eighth inning as national number one seed and
third-ranked Clemson rallied for a 6-5 victory over No. 19 Oral
Roberts University, Saturday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
The win gives Clemson a
2-0 series victory and sends the Tigers to the College World Series
for the ninth time. The Golden Eagles end the season with a 41-16
record.
For the second straight
day, the Tigers overcame a late deficit. On Friday, Clemson rallied
from an 8-7 deficit in the bottom of the ninth when Tyler Colvin
belted a game-winning grand slam. The circumstances were different
on Saturday, but equally painful for ORU.
With ORU leading 5-4 in
the top of the eighth, reliever Erik Crichton (5-1) allowed
a lead-off single to Herman Demmink, but retired Brad Chalk and
Marquez Smith on consecutive fly balls to right. Colvin kept the
inning alive when he reached on a high-chopping infield single and
Taylor Harbin bounced a single off Crichton's glove and up the
middle, scoring Demmink and trimming the lead to 5-4.
Crichton walked Andy
D'Alessio to load the bases and Widmann hit a soft liner just over
the glove of leaping shortstop Tim Torres, scoring Colvin and
Harbin for a 6-5 lead.
ORU, playing as the
home team, managed just one hit in the final two innings.
The Golden Eagles, who
led in 14 of 18 innings in the two games, jumped out to another
early lead, taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
Andy Bouchie knocked in the
first run with a sacrifice fly and Kelly Minissale followed
with an RBI single as ORU took control early.
ORU added another run
in the second when Travis DeBondt led off with
a double and scored on a two-out single by Jake Kahaulelio for a 3-0
lead. But the Golden Eagles missed out on mote runs when Bouchie
struck out with the bases loaded to end the inning.
The Golden Eagles
knocked Clemson starter Stephen Faris out of the game in the third,
but again missed out on a chance for a huge inning. Brendan Duffy ripped a
two-out, RBI single for a 4-0 lead but after Tim Torres walked to load
the bases, Kahaulelio flied out to end the threat.
Clemson got on the
board in the top of the fourth when Harbin blasted a three-run
homer with two outs, pulling the Tigers within 4-3.
It remained a one-run
ORU lead until the bottom of the seventh. Pat Warfle knocked in
Carter
McQuigg with a one-out sacrifice fly for a 5-3 lead. But
it was short-lived.
Crichton suffered the
loss for ORU after allowing three runs on four hits in 1.2 innings.
David Kopp (4-1) picked up the win in relief for Clemson.
The Golden Eagles
out-hit the Tigers, 10-8. Duffy, Minissale and DeBondt each had two
hits.
--ORU--
