Tigers Fall to No. 14 North Carolina, 7-5

May 11, 1999

CLEMSON, SC – Tyrell Godwin, Jarrett Shearin, and Clay Hooper all had solo home runs for North Carolina as the Tar Heels avoided a sweep by winning the final game of a three-game series with Clemson by the score of 7-5 on Tuesday night at Tiger Field.

North Carolina improved to 39-12 overall and 12-9 in the ACC, while Clemson fell to 33-20 and 12-8 in the ACC.

Starter Mike Bynum (7-1) earned the win for the Tar Heels as he pitched 6.1 innings allowing five runs on nine hits. Derrick DePriest came on to earn his seventh save of the season for North Carolina by pitching 2.2 shutout innings. Clemson starter Matt Additon (5-4) took the loss.

Godwin led of the second inning with a solo home run to right center field to get the scoring started. It was Godwin’s second home run of the series as he also delivered a solo shot in Monday night’s game. The sophomore finished the night 4-for-5 and the series 9-for-12 at the plate with six runs and five RBIs.

The Tar Heels added four more runs in the top of the third to jump out to a 5-0 lead. Shearin took the first pitch of the inning from Additon and delivered a home run to left field. Dan Moylan followed with a double down the right field line. Hooper drew a walk from Additon to give North Carolina runners on first and second. Brian Adams came on in relief of Additon, but gave up an RBI double to Godwin. Chris LaMarsh’s RBI single plated Hooper and Jay Madeira’s sacrifice fly scored Godwin.

Clemson answered with one run in the bottom half of the inning as Casey Stone scored on an RBI single from Patrick Boyd to make the score 5-1.

The Tigers added another run when Brian Holstad’s double in the bottom of the fourth scored Derek Borgert. Borgert had led the inning off with a walk and moved to second on a single by Khalil Greene.

Three consecutive singles to start the fifth inning helped North Carolina generate another run. Ryan Blake grounded into a double play with the bases loaded and no outs to score Hooper and give North Carolina a 6-2 advantage.

Clemson’s Kurt Bultmann tied the ACC record for career doubles with his 82nd to start off the bottom of the fifth inning. Jason Harris followed with a walk and Borgert smashed a three-run home run to cut the Tar Heel lead to 6-5. The home run scored three of the four seniors being honored at the game as a part of Clemson’s Senior Night.

North Carolina got an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Hooper hit a one-out solo home run that hugged the left field line and made the score 7-5.

Harris led off the Clemson ninth with a double to start what looked to be a promising Tiger rally when Borgert followed with another double. However, Harris was held at third and Clemson had runners on second and third with none out. DePriest was able to retire the next three batters he faced to preserve the win.

Clemson will travel to Raleigh to face N.C. State in a three-game series set to begin Friday at 7 p.m.