There wasn't much room for optimism as Clemson entered the bottom of the seventh inning of Saturday's ACC series opener with third-ranked North Carolina. Heels starter Gianluca Dalatri was cruising along with a two-run lead. He had shut the Tigers out on three hits while striking out seven.
But Bryar Hawkins led off the seventh with a double and eventually scored as the Tigers drove Dalatri from the game.
The Tigers then scored two runs in the ninth - the final one on a balk - to win, 3-2. A 17-3 rout in the second game of the Saturday twinbill set the stage for a potential conference sweep on Sunday.
Again, Clemson trailed by a run entering its final at-bat. After the first two batters were retired, Sam Hall doubled to left. Logan Davidson followed with a home run over the Cajun Cafe in right to give the Tigers their second walk-off win of the series, 5-4, and a three-game sweep.
Hall, Hawkins and Grayson Byrd had six hits apiece in the series for the Tigers.
* Coastal Carolina went 1-1-1 in the Seattle Baseball Showcase. The event had a 3 1/2-hour time limit for the final inning to start so the tournament could stay close to on schedule. That affected the Chanticleers twice. They lost to San Diego on Friday in a game halted after eight innings by the time limit.
After a win over Washington on Saturday, the time limit bit the Chants again on Sunday against defending national champ Oregon State. The Beavers, ranked No. 2 in most national rankings this week, scored a run in the top of the ninth to tie the score at 4-4, and the game ended that way after 11 innings. Coastal loaded the bases after two were out in the 11th, but failed to get a needed hit to avoid the tie.
* It took a four-run eighth inning Sunday before South Carolina (13-3) could feel reasonably comfortable it was going to finish off a weekend sweep of feisty Valparaiso with a 12-6 victory. The Crusaders gave the Gamecocks fits early in all three games.
USC had eight extra-base hits in the finale, including four homers, but led just 8-6 before its late surge. Jacob Olson hit two homers and T.J. Hopkins hit for the cycle.;
The Gamecocks have hit 32 homers in 16 games. They needed two to open the ninth inning of the middle game to escape with a 3-2 victory.
Carolina, entered the weekend searching for two weekend starters with SEC play beginning next weekend against Georgia. Reid Morgan has been solid on the weekend, by an injury to Carmen Mlodzinksi and struggles by Dylan Harley have put the other two spots in the rotation up for grabs. Wesley Sweatt was effective in a rain-shortened outing Friday and reliever Brett Kerry pitched well before hitting the wall in the sixth inning on Sunday.
* The Citadel's J.D. Davis drove in seven runs on the weekend as the Bulldogs won two of three over Charleston Southern. The Bulldogs trailed 3-1 entering the bottom of the ninth on Sunday, but the first three batters drew walks. A wild pitch, a sac fly and a walk later, The Citadel had a 4-3 victory.
* Presbyterian catcher Jimmy McDonald was released from an Athens area hospital Sunday after undergoing tests related to an injury he suffered in an on-field collision during Saturday's doubleheader loss to Georgia. McDonald was removed from the field on a stretcher after a collision trying to prevent a Georgia baserunner from scoring on a wild pitch.
Anthony Dasher of UGASports.com Tweeted that he was swapped texts with Blue Hose coach Elton Pollock, who said McDonald was released from the hospital after an MRI was OK. Georgia coach Scott Stricklin later Tweeted that McDonald was back on the PC campus. McDonald is a junior from Yakima, Wash.
* North Greenville moved into a first-place tie with Mount Olive in Conference Carolinas at 6-2 and can take sole possession with a win over Belmont Abbey in Monday's series finale.
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