No. 9 Tigers Club WCU 24-10

CLEMSON, S.C. – No. 9 Clemson stormed back from a 6-0 deficit with 10 runs in the third inning, set a Tiger NCAA Tournament record with seven home runs and tied the school record for runs in an NCAA Tourney game in its 24-10 victory over Western Carolina in the Clemson Regional at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Friday night. The Tigers, who won their 10th game in a row, improved to 43-18, while the Catamounts dropped to 30-30. It marked the first time since March 14, 1998 that Clemson scored 18+ runs in back-to-back games.

Western Carolina scored two runs in the second inning and four unearned runs in the top of the third inning to build a 6-0 lead. But Clemson answered back with its most runs in an inning since May 15, 2010 (Wake Forest) in the bottom of the third. Chris Williams hit a two-run single, Seth Beer belted a grand slam, his 17th long ball of the year, and Chris Okey followed with a solo home run to highlight the uprising. Clemson tacked on five runs in the fifth inning, keyed by Williams’ three-run homer, then Okey belted his second homer of the game and 14th of the year, a three-run shot, in the sixth inning. Triller and Eli White added long balls in the seventh inning, then Triller hit another home run in the eighth inning.

Charlie Barnes (6-4) earned the win, as he gave up eight hits, nine runs (five earned) and three walks with six strikeouts in 6.1 innings pitched. Catamount reliever Korey Anderson (1-4) suffered the loss, as he yielded four runs in 0.1 innings pitched.

Clemson plays Oklahoma State in the winners bracket on Saturday at 7 p.m., on ESPN3.

[View the story “WCU at Clemson (June 3, 2016)” on Storify]