#14 Tigers Take Regular-Season Finale 6-3 Over N.C. State Saturday

May 19, 2007

Raleigh, NC –

Doug Hogan went 3-for-5 with a home run, double, and three RBIs to lead #14 Clemson to a 6-3 win over N.C. State in front of 2,297 fans at Doak Field on Saturday afternoon in both teams’ regular-season finales. The Tigers improved to 36-20 overall and 18-12 in the ACC, while the Wolfpack dropped to 36-19 overall, 16-14 in the ACC. N.C. State won the series 2-1 as well.

Tiger reliever P.J. Zocchi combined to pitch 4.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen to close out the game, while Zocchi picked up his first save of the year.

Wolfpack starter Jeff Stallings (3-1) suffered the loss, as he allowed four runs on four hits in 2.2 innings pitched. He was the first of seven pitchers used by N.C. State on Saturday.

The Tigers took the game’s first lead in the second inning. Ben Paulsen drew a two-out walk and Alex Lee followed with a double off the top of the wall in left-center to plate Paulsen.

Doug Hogan then hit a line-drive, solo homer to left field, his 11th of the year, to give Clemson a 4-0 lead.

In the fourth inning, N.C. State posted a run on the scoreboard. Ryan Pond led off with a walk and went to third on Mike Roskopf’s single down the right-field line. Caleb Mangum grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, but Pond scored.

The Tigers responded with two runs in the top of the fifth inning. Boyd led off with a single to left-center and Smith singled through the left side. After D’Alessio moved the runners up a base on a sacrifice bunt, Harbin hit a slow roller to shortstop Tommy Foschi. He threw home and Mangum tagged Boyd in time. But Hogan came through with a two-run double down the right-field line to score Smith and Harbin, upping the Tigers’ lead to 6-1.

The Wolfpack cut the Tigers’ lead back to three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Marcus Jones led off with an infield single and Pat Ferguson followed with a walk. Foschi loaded the bases with a hit-by-pitch with no outs. Dallas Poulk grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, but Jones scored on the play. Ramon Corona followed with a line-drive single to right to score Ferguson, as Boyd trapped the ball.

After stranding runners at second and third in the eighth inning, the Wolfpack mounted another rally in the ninth inning. Poulk led off with a line-drive single off D’Alessio’s glove. Corona flew out to center for out #1. Pond followed with a walk, then Vince Gutierrez struck out looking for out #2. Then Mangum hit a flyball to the warning track in left field, but Lee made the game-ending catch.

Hogan led the Tigers with three hits, while Boyd and Smith added two hits apiece. Poulk had a team-high three hits for the Wolfpack. Neither team committed an error in the series as well.

Clemson will be the #4 seed in the ACC Tournament at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville (FL). The Tigers will open the tournament with a game on Wednesdady. Both the opponent and game time will be announced on Sunday.