Tigers Fall to Wake Forest in ACC Tourney Play

May 20, 1999

DURHAM, N.C. – Mike MacDougal fired a two-hitter, overcoming an early bout of wildness, as Wake Forest advanced in the winner’s bracket of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament with a 6-3 victory over Clemson on Thursday night.

The victory advanced the defending ACC champions and No. 2 seeded Demon Deacons (41-13) – riding a 10-game winning streak – against regular-season champion and top-seeded Florida State. The Seminoles are the only other team in the double-elimination tourney without a loss.

The Tigers (35-23), who rallied for a 7-6 win over N.C. State on Wednesday night with a three-run ninth, fell into the loser’s portion of the draw and will play Maryland on Friday afternoon.

MacDougal walked five in three innings before settling down to pick up his ACC-leading 12th victory against two defeats in 8 2-3 strong innings. The 6-foot-5 junior got stronger as the game wore on, retiring 16 of 18 batters at one point before running into some more wildness in the ninth and giving way to reliever Danny Borrell.

Wake Forest ran its record to 4-0 this season against Clemson – the first time the Demon Deacons have beaten the Tigers four times in a season, dating to 1901.

The Demon Deacons gave MacDougal some insurance with a four-run ninth inning, getting a two-run double from Jason Aquilante and a two-run homer by cleanup hitter Danny Borrell, his 18th of the season.

The Tigers got on the scoreboard without a hit in the bottom of the third inning, getting three walks and a sacrifice fly from Jason Harris off the MacDougal.

Wake Forest tied it two innings later when Matt Price singled, went to third on Ben Danosky’s single and scored on Chase Voshell’s sacrifice fly to left.

Price drove in the go-ahead run in a wild top of the sixth for the Demon Deacons. Three straight infield hits – two off Clemson third baseman Khalil Greene – had Wake Forest in business with the bases loaded.

But Jon Palmieri was cut down at home on a wild pitch that bounced back hard off the screen to catcher Brian Ellis, who flipped to pitcher Ryan Mottl for the easy tag. However, Price followed with a solid single to left to plate Andrew Riepe.

By DAVID DROSCHAK AP Sports Writer