CLEMSON -- Jack Crighton hit a three-run homer, the first long ball of his career, with two outs in the seventh inning to propel No. 2 Clemson to a 7-6 victory over No. 17 Louisville at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Thursday night.
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The Tigers, who took a 1-0 lead in the series, improved to 34-6 overall and 12-4 in the ACC. The Cardinals dropped to 27-10 overall and 9-7 in ACC play.
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The Cardinals scored three unearned runs in the top of the first inning thanks to two costly errors, including one on a potential inning-ending, double-play grounder in a scoreless game. Clemson responded with three runs in the bottom of the first inning on Collin Priest’s eighth home run of the season.
Louisville regained the lead in the second inning with two runs.
In the fourth inning, the Tigers cut the lead in half when they scored on a wild pitch.
In the seventh inning with Clemson trailing 5-4, Jarren Purify reached on a one-out error and Jacob Jarrell drew a two-out walk. On a 1-0 pitch, Crighton, playing his 100th career game, laced a three-run homer on a 1-0 pitch over the fence in center field to give Clemson the lead.
Louisville answered with an unearned run in the eighth inning.
Luke Gaffney added two hits for Clemson.
The Cardinals outhit the Tigers 9-5.
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Jacob McGovern (2-0) earned the win by tossing a perfect seventh inning in relief, while Lucas Mahlstedt pitched 1.2 innings to record his 13th save of the year. Aidan Knaak (6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K) got the start for the Tigers, while Reed Garris (0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 K) joined McGovern and Mahlstedt in relief work.
Wyatt Danilowicz (0-1) suffered the loss.
The series continues Friday at 5 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
