Hurricanes Fall to Tigers in Game Two, Set Up Decisive Series Finale

CLEMSON, S.C. – The Miami Hurricanes baseball team dropped game two of its series with the Clemson Tigers Friday night at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, 7-6. The back-and-forth fight all evening was decided in the bottom of the seventh with a solo shot from Clemson’s Tryston McCladdie.

Danny Nelson (1-2) earned the win for Clemson, allowing one run across two innings in relief. Miami reliever T.J. Coats (4-1) was charged with the loss after surrendering the go-ahead run in the seventh. Justin LeGuernic picked up his second save of the season, closing out the final inning for the Tigers.

Derek Williams got Miami going right away, shooting a ground ball through the infield to bring home Jake Ogden and give the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Miami has made a habit of early offense, scoring at least one run in 12 of its last 15 games in their first trip to the plate.

But the Tigers answered with some firepower in the bottom of the inning as Nate Savoie launched a two-run home run to put Clemson back in the driver’s seat, 2-1.

Miami found its offensive stride again in the top of the fourth as freshman Alonzo Alvarez delivered the first strike, ripping an RBI double to right-center to score Alex Sosa and move Williams to third, tying the game at two. 

To take the lead, Vance Sheahan kept the pressure on with an RBI single through the left side, bringing home Williams and advancing Alvarez to third. Freshman Dylan Dubovik then capped the scoring on a fielder’s choice that resulted in another Alvarez crossing the plate, extending the lead to 4-2. 

In the bottom half of the inning, a critical error from Miami second baseman Jake Ogden allowed Jay Dillard to reach first. Ty Dalley then followed with a single that pushed Dillard over to third, and Luke Gaffney followed with an RBI single to left, bringing home Dilllard to make it a one-run ballgame.

After a sacrifice bunt advanced both runners into scoring position, Bryce Clavon lifted a sacrifice fly to center to plate Dalley and tie the game at four. Then, in the very next inning, Tryston McCladdie launched a two-run home run to left-center, giving the Tigers the lead, 6-4.

Miami’s bats refused to quit, and in the top of the seventh, Dubovik started a rally with a single, and Fabio Peralta followed with a double down the left field line to move Dubovik to third.

Ogden brought in the first run of the inning with a groundout to short, scoring Dubovik and pushing Peralta to third and putting the Hurricanes in striking distance. After a second out, Alex Sosa delivered with a clutch RBI double to right-center, plating Peralta to tie the game at six.

The back-and-forth blows continued, and for the fifth lead change of the game, Clemson broke the tie in the bottom of the seventh off the bat of McCladdie, who launched his second home run of the night to put Clemson ahead 7-6.

The solo shot from McCladdie was just enough to get Clemson the win and even the series, forcing the Sunday rubber match. Sunday’s series finale is slated to start 3 p.m. and will be broadcast on ACCNX and WVUM 90.5 FM.

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