Clemson baseball blocked from ACC tournament semifinals with loss to Miami
One year later, the results were different between Clemson baseball and Miami in the ACC tournament.
After the Tigers beat the Hurricanes in the ACC championship in 2023, Miami got revenge Thursday, defeating the Tigers 8-7 in Pool B play, preventing Clemson from advancing to the 2024 ACC tournament semifinals.
The No. 11 seed Hurricanes (26-29) need to win the ACC tournament to make the NCAA regionals. The No. 2 seed Tigers (40-14) will play Louisville on Friday (3 p.m.. ACC Network) to complete play in Pool B and then wait until Monday to learn their destination in the NCAA Tournament.
"We know we have a lot of baseball left but we know we need to play a better brand of baseball ... our guys will respond and we'll get a chance (to play better) tomorrow," Clemson coach Erik Bakich said.
Even with the loss, it's still very likely that the Tigers will host an NCAA regional, a spokesperson for D1 Baseball said after Thursday's loss. D1 Baseball has Clemson as the No. 6 seed in the field of 64.
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"There is a lot to still play for, nothing is guaranteed, we haven't locked a national seed. I've been doing this long enough to know that," Bakich said. "I think more importantly it is about playing well, and there is a whole different feeling of winning and losing. We want to build momentum for ourselves ... we want to play well and build momentum going into the regionals."
Clemson baseball couldn't secure 24th comeback win this season
The Tigers are known for clawing back into games, and entered Thursday with 23 comeback wins this season, the best in the ACC. Miami was ahead 6-2 by the third inning, a deficit Clemson couldn't overcome.
The fourth inning is usually the best offensive showing for the Tigers, but on Thursday, Clemson had no hits and no runs.
In the eighth, Cam Cannarella tripled then scored on Jimmy Obertop's double, making it a 7-5 game. Tristian Bissetta's double brought Obertop home, making it 7-6, forcing Miami to take pitcher Nick Robert out.
With Clemson players on base, Myles Caba recorded the most important strikeout of the game for Miami to hold the lead. After the Hurricanes added a run in the bottom of the inning, Caba faced the Tigers' best hitters in the ninth, allowing a solo home run to Jacob Hinderleider but defended the one-run lead thanks to a two-out catch of a Bissetta fly ball at the wall by Edgardo Villegas.
Junior Lucas Mahlstedt pitched a very solid four innings for the Tigers, allowing four hits and one run, striking out three batters. Mahlstedt came in for starting pitcher Ethan Darden, who allowed five hits and six runs. Miami had chances to keep stretching its lead but Mahlstedt prevented a runway game.
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Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson baseball loses 8-7 to Miami, won't reach ACC semifinals
