#6 Tigers Rally From Early Deficit to Complete Sweep of Duke with 9-6 Victory Sunday

March 18, 2007

Clemson, SC –

Five Tiger relievers combined for 7.0 scoreless innings and all nine starters scored at least one run, as #6 Clemson completed a three-game sweep of Duke with a 9-6 victory on Sunday afternoon in front of 4,092 fans at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

The Tigers improved to 14-4 overall and 3-0 in the ACC, while the Blue Devils dropped to 17-7 overall and 0-6 in the ACC. It was the Tigers’ 21st straight ACC home victory dating back to 2005.

Matt Vaughn, Justin Sarratt, Matt Zoltak, Stephen Clyne, and Daniel Moskos worked a combined 7.0 scoreless innings of relief. The quintet gave up only three hits and one walk while striking out five. Moskos also earned his fifth save of the season.

Vaughn (1-0) silenced the Blue Devil bats after Duke scored six runs off starter Alan Farina. Vaughn only allowed two hits over 4.0 innings while striking out three to earn his first career win. Starter Jonathan Foreman (1-1) took the loss for Duke after allowing seven runs (four earned) over 2.1 innings pitched. Only four of the nine runs allowed by the Blue Devils were earned.

Eight of the nine batters in Clemson’s starting lineup had at least one hit and all nine starters scored one run. Freshman Addison Johnson had a 2-for-4 day with an RBI and fellow freshman J.D. Burgess had three RBIs. Brad Chalk also made Sunday’s contest the 45th game in a row he reached base via a hit or a walk dating back to last season, as he was 3-for-4 with a walk.

Brett Bartles led the offensive attack for Duke with a three-run homer, while Matt Williams added two hits.

Duke sent eight batters to the plate and scored four runs against Farina in the first inning. With two outs, Bartles hit a three-run home run to right-center on a 1-2 pitch to put the Blue Devils up 3-0. It was his second homer of the series and fourth of the season. Jonathan Nicolla walked, then Williams drove him in with a double to right-center.

The Tigers responded with four runs to tie the score in the bottom of the first. Chalk singled to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. J.D. Burgess singled to left field, plating Smith and D’Alessio, to tie the score 4-4. Burgess, starting for an injured Taylor Harbin, collected the first two RBIs in his career on the single.

Duke took a 6-4 lead in the third. Jimmy Gallagher walked to lead off and Freiman doubled down the left-field line, advancing Gallagher to third. Gallagher then scored on a passed ball. Nicolla later grounded out to shortstop, scoring Freiman.

Clemson battled back with three runs in the bottom of the third. Hogan singled up the middle with one out and Paulsen followed with a single through the right side that advanced Hogan to third. Addison Johnson then singled up the middle scoring Hogan. Burgess hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Paulsen to tie the score. Two batters later, David Bunnell hit a two-out single to score Johnson and put the Tigers in the lead 7-6.

The Tigers added two runs in the fifth when Boyd hit a two-out single up the middle that drove in Burgess and Bunnell.

Harbin’s streak of 80 straight starts ended on Sunday. He was hit by a pitch on his wrist in Saturday’s contest. His status for Clemson’s next game on Tuesday is listed as questionable.

Head Coach Jack Leggett, who has 999 career wins, and the Tigers will travel to Cullowhee, NC to face Western Carolina on Tuesday at 7:00 PM.