Re: UNC vs. Clemson - Game 3
BY UNC ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
CLEMSON, S.C. --- Tyler Ramirez drove in five runs and blasted his fourth home run of the year and No. 18 North Carolina held on for a wild 8-7 win over Clemson Sunday afternoon at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Carolina rallied from a 4-0 hole to lead 8-4 in the seventh after the Ramirez homer, but Clemson got the tying runs aboard in the ninth against Trent Thornton. The UNC junior, who got out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, struck out Reed Rohlman and Chris Okey to end it.
Clemson (16-15, 7-8 ACC) struck for three in the first on Okey's homer to left and made it 4-0 against Benton Moss (5-0) in the second. But the Tar Heel senior was sharp over the next three innings to keep the Tar Heels (18-13, 7-8 ACC) within striking distance.
Carolina scored three times in the third and tied it in the fourth on a Korey Dunbar RBI groundout. Skye Bolt doubled and scored on a Ramirez single to make it 5-4 in the fifth before the UNC right fielder's line drive homer to right in the seventh pushed the Tar Heel lead to 8-4.
But the Tigers rallied for the second straight day, and Moss left after allowing consecutive hits in the bottom of the seventh. Jason Morgan gave up a two-run double to Eli White that pulled Clemson within two, but the freshman righty got the final three outs of the seventh to keep it 8-6.
Thornton entered in the eighth with the bases loaded and nobody out after Trevor Kelley issued back-to-back walks to Chase Pinder and Andrew Cox. Thornton struck out Weston Wilson for the first out and Alex Raburn turned a 5-2 double play on a grounder from White to keep Carolina in front.
The UNC junior closer got his fifth save of the year after walking the tying and winning runs in the ninth. With one out, Thornton struck out Rohlman on a sharp curve before freezing Okey with a fastball at the knees.
Carolina avoided its first series sweep against the Tigers since 1997 with the win and will head home to Chapel Hill for a seven-game homestand starting Tuesday. The Tar Heels host Coastal Carolina and Liberty during the week before welcoming North Carolina State for three starting Friday.