CLEMSON -- No. 4 Clemson overcame a 6-0 deficit to win 7-6 over No. 11 Wake Forest when Tryston McCladdie scored on a wild pitch with one out in the ninth inning at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
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The Tigers, who won the series 2-1, improved to 23-3 overall and 4-2 in the ACC. The Demon Deacons dropped to 19-6 overall and 7-2 in ACC play.
The Demon Deacons scored three runs in the first inning, capped by Ryan Preisano’s two-run homer, then they added three runs in the top of the second inning to build a 6-0 lead. Dominic Listi’s two-out double put the Tigers on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning. Listi led the TIgers with three hits.
In the sixth inning, Listi grounded a two-out single to score two runs, then two runs scored on Cam Cannarella’s two-out single in the eighth inning to narrow Wake Forest’s lead to 6-5. Two batters later, Luke Gaffney grounded a single to score the tying run.
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In the ninth inning, McCladdie led off with a walk, stole second and advanced to third on Josh Paino’s groundout. Then on a 2-0 pitch to Andrew Ciufo, the ball went to the backstop and McCladdie scored the walkoff run.
Wake outhit Clemson 8-7.
Lucas Mahlstedt (1-0) pitched 3.0 innings, allowing two hits, no runs and one walk with three strikeouts to earn the win. Mahlstedt threw a team-high 50 pitches.
The Tigers used seven pitchers on the afternoon with Justin LeGuernic (0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB) getting the start. Drew Titsworth (0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB), B.J. Bailey (1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K), Hudson Lee (1.2 IP, 3 BB, 3 K), Nathan Dvorksy (0.1 IP, 1 BB, 1 K) and T.P. Wentworth (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB) joined Mahlstedt in picking up work out of the bullpen.
Josh Gunther (1-2) suffered the loss.
The Tigers host No. 24 ranked Coastal Carolina on Tuesday at 6 p.m. on ACC Network Extra. The Chanticleers are 17-7 after dropping a weekend series to Troy.
