May 17, 2003
Box Score
Winston-Salem, N.C. - The Wake Forest baseball team was leading or tied for nearly the entire game on Saturday with Clemson but the Tigers rallied for two runs in the top of the ninth as the Deacons fell to Clemson 4-3 in the regular season finale at Hooks Stadium.
Deacon senior left-handed pitcher Seth Hill gave Wake Forest everything he had, turning his first career complete game. He allowed just two runs on seven hits through eight innings with a pair of strikeouts. The Wake Forest offense provided a narrow 3-2 lead but Clemson pushed across the game-tying and go-ahead runs in the top of the ninth on RBI singles from Michael Johnson and Brad McCann.
In the longest outing of his career, Hill held the Tigers in check and provided some outstanding defense. In the eighth inning, Clemson's Kyle Frank led off with a near-perfect bunt down the third base line. Hill pounced off the mound and played it barehanded. Without ever planting his feet, Hill fired to first base, all in one motion to get the speedy Clemson center fielder.
Hill worked out of jams all afternoon with minimal or no damage. He escaped two bases loaded situations in the fourth and fifth innings and stranded six Tiger runners in scoring position for the game.
Clemson got on the board first in the third inning on the first career home run by catcher Steve Pyzik, a solo shot. But Wake Forest tied it right away with a run in the bottom of the third. Ryan Hubbard's single through the left side scored Chris Getz.
The Deacons took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning. With two outs, Getz singled to center field scoring Brad Scioletti.
The Tigers threatened in the fifth, loading the bases with nobody out. Michael Johnson's sacrifice fly tied the game but Hill got McCann to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to keep the score level at two.
The Deacons scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. Pinch hitter Steve LeFaivre led off with a single through the right side and moved to second on a picture perfect sacrifice bunt by Jeff Ruziecki, the first of his Deacon career. Casey Sterk ran for LeFaivre and scored on Ben Ingold's RBI single.
In the next at-bat, Wake Forest was inches away from scoring two more runs. Getz' line drive went off the top of the wall near the right field foul pole. Instead of a two-run homer, it was a double leaving runners at second and third with one out. But the Deacons couldn't add to their lead, setting up Clemson's dramatics in the top of the ninth.
Wake Forest had one last at-bat to even the score. With two outs, pinch hitter Doug Riepe was plunked by Tiger reliever Jeff Hahn. Grant Achilles ran for Riepe and advanced to second when Ruziecki walked. Achilles represented the tying run at second base but Ingold, the hero with the RBI single in the eighth inning, struck out to end the game.
Hahn earned the victory for the Tigers, improving to 5-6. He worked four innings in relief of Robert Rohrbaugh. Hill slipped to 2-6 overall despite putting together the best start of his Wake Forest career.
Jamie D'Antona had two hits for the Deacons including a double. Getz and Ingold each finished with a pair of base hits. McCann had three hits for Clemson. Pyzik was 2-for-3 with the home run and Garrick Evans doubled twice for the Tigers.
The Deacons will be the seven-seed in next week's ACC Tournament in Salem, Virginia. Wake Forest will play Georgia Tech in Wednesday's opener. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. and Kyle Sleeth will get the ball for the Demon Deacons.
