April 14, 2006
ATLANTA – Adrian Casanova had two doubles, including an eighth-inning shot that broke a 6-6 tie, to lead No. 5 Clemson (27-8, 10-3 ACC) to a 7-6 win over No. 10 Georgia Tech (26-9, 8-8) in the opener of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference on Friday night at Russ Chandler Stadium.
The Tigers built a 6-0 lead after three innings, only to see the Yellow Jackets tie the game with a six-run sixth before scoring the winning run in the eighth inning.
Casanova went 2-for-4 and drove in three runs. Andy D’Alessio and Travis Storrer added two hits each for the Tigers.
Clemson’s Ryan Hinson (2-0) earned the win in relief, working 1.2 innings and allowing one run on two hits. Daniel Moskos earned his sixth save of the year by pitching two scoreless innings to close out the game.
Tech reliever Ryan Turner (3-2) was the tough-luck loser, holding the Tigers to one run on two hits in 4.1 innings.
Luke Murton led the Yellow Jackets with three hits, while Whit Robbins drove in four runs on a sixth-inning grand slam. Jeff Kindel added two hits.
A solo home run from D’Alessio, his team leading 12th of the year, gave Clemson a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. The Tigers added three more runs in the inning to extend the lead to 4-0. Storrer doubled and Stand Widmann drew a walk before Casanova followed with a two-out, two-run double and Herman Demmink added a RBI single.
Clemson added two runs in the third inning to make the score 6-0. D’Alessio and Marquez Smith had back-to-back one-out singles before Storrer delivered a two-run double.
The score remained 6-0 until the Yellow Jackets erupted for six runs in the sixth inning to tie the game. Tech sent 10 batters to the plate and had six hits in the inning, highlighted by Robbins’ grand slam.
Danny Payne led off the inning with a solo home run, his team-leading eighth of the year. After a flyout, Tech loaded the bases on a walk to Matt Wieters and infield singles from Kindel and Wes Hodges before Robbins hit his seventh home run just inside the right field foul pole. Tech tied the game when Murton singled, took second base on a groundout and scored on Michael Fisher’s two-out RBI single.
Clemson broke the tie and took a 7-6 lead in the top of the eighth inning when Storrer drew a one-out walk that chased Turner from the game. A wild pitch advanced Storrer into scoring position, and after a flyout, Casanova broke the tie with a two-out RBI double.
Neither starting pitcher figured in the decision. Tech’s Blake Wood worked three innings and allowed six runs on seven hits. Clemson’s Josh Cribb allowed five runs in 5.1 innings.
Georgia Tech and Clemson continue the three-game series on Saturday at 1 p.m. The game will be televised on the ACC Regional Networks (FSN South, Sun Sports, CSN and NESN).
