CLEMSON, S.C. — Lefthander Josh Hartle pitched 7.0 strong innings in No. 2 Wake Forest’s 6-5 victory over Clemson at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Demon Deacons, who swept the series 3-0, improved to 26-3 overall and 10-2 in the ACC. The Tigers dropped to 16-13 overall and 2-7 in ACC play.
Hartle (6-1) earned the win by allowing just five hits, one run and one walk with eight strikeouts. Cole Roland retired the last batter to record his first save of the year. Tiger starter Caden Grice (1-1) suffered the loss despite tying career highs for innings pitched (5.0) and strikeouts (8). Grice, who struck out all six batters in the second and third inning, surrendered two hits, three runs and five walks in the game.
The Tigers jumped in front in the second inning on Cam Cannarella’s run-scoring single, then Pierce Bennett’s double on an 0-2 pitch scored two runs on the Demon Deacons’ first hit of the game in the fourth inning. Nick Kurtz lined a two-out, run-scoring double in the fifth inning to double the Wake Forest lead, then the Demon Deacons scored a run in the sixth inning on a double play.
Lucas Costello added a run-scoring double in the seventh inning. Cooper Ingle’s sacrifice fly scored a run for the Tigers in the eighth inning, then Wake Forest responded with a two-out run after an error in the top of the ninth inning. Grice led off the bottom of the ninth inning with his seventh homer of the year, then pinch-hitter Jacob Jarrell blooped a two-out, two-run double. But Roland retired Ingle with two runners on base to end the game.
The Tigers host Coastal Carolina at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
