Tigers Rally in Ninth to Advance in ACC Tournament

May 20, 1999

DURHAM, N.C. — Light-hitting Justin Singleton belted a two-run pinch-hit homer in the bottom of the ninth inning as Clemson rallied to beat North Carolina State 7-6 in the ACC tournament Wednesday night.

The third-seeded Tigers trailed 6-4 heading to the final frame before Singleton, hitting .077 in Atlantic Coast Conference games this season, belted a 2-1 pitch off reliever Ryan Combs well over the right field wall to tie the score.

After a ground out, Patrick Boyd doubled high off the left field wall, and Kurt Bultmann’s single up the middle off the first pitch from Mike Sollie – the Wolfpack’s fifth and final reliever – sealed Clemson’s dramatic comeback.

Clemson (35-22) advanced to the winner’s bracket to play defending champion Wake Forest, a 4-3 winner over Virginia earlier in the day.

The Wolfpack (35-22) will face the Cavaliers on Thursday in the loser’s side of the draw.

Third-seeded Clemson led 2-1 before the Wolfpack scored a run in the fourth and two in the fifth.

Dan Mooney started the fifth with a single and later scored after a pair of sacrifice bunts. Brian Wright scored the second run of the inning after Brian Holstad’s throw from right field on a single by Brian Ward was dropped by Clemson catcher Brian Ellis.

Wright saw his 21-game hitting streak end after going 0-for-4 with a walk.

The Tigers closed within one run at 4-3 with consecutive doubles by Derek Borgert and Khalil Greene before the Wolfpack’s two-run eighth.

Bultmann’s 11th homer of the season pulled the Tigers to 6-4 in the bottom half of the inning before the three-run ninth-inning rally secured the win.