May 25, 2007

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Clemson does not want to see Brett Linnenkohl come to the plate again anytime soon. After notching the walk-off, game-winning hit against the Tigers on April 14, Linnenkohl was at it again on Friday. The junior leftfielder scored the game-tying run in the eighth and then had the game-winning hit in the ninth to give Wake Forest a 3-2 defeat of Clemson in the 2007 ACC Tournament held at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.

The Deacs had plenty of opportunities to score runs early but, in typical 2007 fashion, waited until late to steal the win away from the Tigers. Wake erased a 2-0 deficit with single runs in each of the final three innings, snapping a four-game ACC Tournament losing streak that dated back to 2005.

The game-winning rally came against Clemson closer Stephen Clyne, who entered the game with one out in the eighth. Dustin Hood led off the ninth by reaching on an infield single and then advancing to second when Tiger shortstop Taylor Harbin threw wild to first. Clemson elected to intentionally walk Allan Dykstra to put two on for cleanup hitter Willy Fox.

Instead of swinging away for the game-winning RBI, Fox attempted his first sacrifice bunt of the year. Clyne quickly got ahead 0-2, but Fox was able to lay the bunt down in fair territory on the next pitch. Clyne fielded the ball and threw to third to get the lead runner. However, his throw was high and pulled third baseman Marquez Smith off the bag, allowing Hood to slide in safely.

With the bases now loaded and the infield in, Linnenkohl hit the first pitch he saw from Clyne up the middle for the game-winning hit. It was the second time this season that Linnenkohl got the best of Clyne for a walk-off hit. Linnenkohl sent the Deacons to a 6-5 win on April 14 with a ninth-inning single to left.

The win moves Wake Forest to 1-1 in Tournament play and 32-26 overall on the year. The Deacs are still alive for a berth in Sunday's Championship game, pending the outcome of the Florida State-Miami game on Friday. If the Seminoles win, the Deacons are eliminated. However, if the Hurricanes come out on top, Wake could get in with a win over Miami and an FSU loss on Saturday.

On Friday, Clemson scored a run in each the fourth and fifth innings, but that was all the Tigers could get off Wake starter Brad Kledzik. Kledzik got a no-decision but was outstanding otherwise to keep the Deacs in the game. The defining moment of his start came in the sixth when Andy D'Alessio led off with a triple off the wall. Kledzik battled to keep D'Alessio at third, using a lineout, a third-to-first pickoff and a strikeout to end the threat.

On the afternoon, Kledzik tied his career-long with 7 1/3 innings pitched. The sophomore righthander allowed two runs on six hits with two strikeouts and three walks.

Reliever Eric Niesen (6-5) picked up the win for Wake Forest. Niesen came on with one on and one out in the eighth and held the Tigers hitless the rest of the way. The lefty struck out one and walked one in 1 2/3 innings of work.

Hood and Weldon Woodall had two hits apiece for the Deacon offense. In addition to Linnenkohl's RBI, Dykstra and Tyler Smith also had RBIs for Wake. Smith had the game-tying RBI single in the eighth.

The Deacs left 14 runners on base, putting at least one runner on base in every inning. However, Wake Forest had trouble producing against Clemson starter Ryan Hinson. The lefty Hinson gave up just one run on four hits in 6 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out one in the no-decision.

Clyne (5-2) took the loss, allowing an unearned run on three hits in 2/3 innings.

Reliever Alex Martin allowed the other Deacon run, as he faced two batters in the eighth.

Clemson broke a scoreless tie by manufacturing a run off Kledzik in the fourth. D'Alessio was issued a leadoff walk and then moved to second on Harbin's sacrifice bunt. Doug Hogan followed with a double to the leftfield corner to score D'Alessio for the 1-0 lead.

The Deacs handed the Tigers another run in the fourth. J.D. Burgess reached on a leadoff walk and then moved to second on a groundout and to third on a wild pitch. Wilson Boyd cashed the run in for Clemson with a sacrifice fly to center.

Clemson threatened again in the sixth, putting a runner on third with no outs, but Kledzik pitched his way out of the jam. D'Alessio tripled off the wall in deep right center, as the ball hit near the 375 dimension mark. Kledzik then got Harbin to line out to third with the infield in before walking Hogan. Kledzik erased Hogan with a classic third-to-first pickoff move for the second out. He then struck out Alex Lee swinging to end the inning.

Wake Forest cut the Clemson lead in half with a run in the seventh inning. Woodall sliced a one-out single to right, and Austin Jones followed with a walk. Ben Terry then reached on a bunt single to load the bases and chase Hinson. Reliever Matt Vaughn got Dustin Hood to fly out to shallow left for the second out, but the ball was not deep enough for Woodall to score on from third. Vaughn then walked Dykstra to bring in a run but recovered to strike out Fox looking to end the rally.

The Deacs tied it up with another run in the eighth. Martin came on to start the inning for Clemson and hit Linnenkohl to start. Linnenkohl had been hit on the previous pitch as well, but the umpire ruled that he did not get out of the way and thus did not get to take first base.

After Andy Goff sacrificed Linnenkohl to second, the Tigers went to closer Clyne. Smith greeted Clyne with a single through the left side just past the glove of a diving Harbin at shortstop. Linnenkohl scored easily from second with the tying run.

Goff saw his six-game hitting steak come to an end, going 0-for-3. Terry was hit by two pitches on the day to bring his season total to 21, eight short of Wake's single-season record. Dykstra and Linnenkohl were also hit by pitches to give the Deacons 102 as a team this year.

Wake Forest is back in ACC Tournament action on Saturday evening against Miami. RHP Ben Hunter (6-6, 4.55) will start for the Deacons, while RHP Enrique Garcia (7-3, 3.14) will take the mound for the Hurricanes. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.