NC State Clinches Series At No. 2 Clemson With 6-1 Win

CLEMSON, S.C. – The 10th-ranked NC State baseball team earned a 6-1 win against the second-ranked Clemson Tigers Saturday afternoon at Doug Kingsmore Stadium to clinch the series. The Wolfpack has won both of its ACC series this season and will go for the sweep Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.

The Pack’s leadoff batter reached in six of the nine innings and each came around to score en route to the victory against the Tigers.

Senior Brian Brown turned in another stellar outing on the mound to remain unbeaten on the year at 4-0 with six innings pitched, tying his season high with eight strikeouts and allowed just one earned run. Freshman Reid Johnston took over for Brown and closed out the game to earn his fourth save of the season. Clemson starter Brooks Crawford was hit with his first loss of the year.

NC State moves to 17-3 on the year and 4-1 in ACC play, while Clemson falls to 16-3 and 3-2 in conference action.

Avent’s Additions

"The guys are playing really well right now, they’re loose but focused and that’s the way you want your ball club,” said head coach Elliott Avent. “We made some big pitches in some big spots. This is a really, really good Clemson team and it’s a tough place to play.

“Our guys, especially the young guys, have really risen to the occasion. We’ve got to be ready to play tomorrow this is a really good team.”

Quick Hits

- Clemson took its first lead of the series in the bottom of the second, after an RBI single from Travis Wilkie but it was short-lived as NC State countered in its next at-bat.

- Patrick Bailey and Dillon Cooper started the Wolfpack third with back-to-back singles and Bailey scored on an RBI groundout from Josh McLain.

- Evan Edwards drove in NC State’s second run of the day to give the Pack a lead it would not relinquish with a sacrifice fly to center field.

- An RBI groundout scored Bailey in the fifth to make it 3-1 before Edwards launched his sixth homer of the season, a solo shot in the sixth inning to give NC State a 4-1 advantage.

- A wild pitch plated the Wolfpack’s fifth run of the contest in the seventh and a Will Wilson RBI groundout gave NCSU its sixth run in the top of the ninth.

Game Notes

- NC State has now won three of the last four series against Clemson, including a pair of series wins in South Carolina.

- Wilson extended his reached base safely streak to 35 games in the contest, dating back to 2017 with his double in the fourth inning.

- The Wolfpack did not commit an error in the game for the fifth time this season.

- Bailey, McLain and Wilson each turned in multi-hit games in the contest.

On the Mound

- Brown and Johnston combined to hold Clemson without an extra-base hit in the contest, as all six hits were singles.

- Brown set the tone early in the game, as he struck out the side in the first inning.

- NC State’s pitchers limited the Tigers to just one hit with runners in scoring position.

- For the weekend, Wolfpack pitchers have allowed just one earned run in 18 innings.

Up Next

NC State will go for the series sweep against the Clemson Tigers Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.