March 19, 2010
No. 7 Clemson edges Tech in pitcher's duel
Hokies and Tigers combine for just five hits
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Virginia Tech (13-6) 000000000013
(7) Clemson (15-2) 00100101X341
  • Kingsmore Stadium - 3,862

CLEMSON, S.C.Clemson pitchers Casey Harman and David Haselden combined for a one-hit shutout on Friday night, leading the seventh-ranked Tigers to a 3-0 ACC baseball victory over Virginia Tech at Kingsmore Stadium.

It was a pitcher’s duel throughout, as the Tigers (15-2, 4-0 ACC) only had four hits of their own, which tied for the second-fewest allowed by the staff of Virginia Tech (13-6, 2-2 ACC) this season.

The Tigers got on the board with a single run in the bottom of the third. After first baseman Will Lamb led off with a double, he advanced to third on a groundout before scoring on a sacrifice fly to right field by second baseman Mike Freeman.

Harman (4-0) had a no-hitter going with two outs in the sixth, but Tech center fielder Sean Ryan broke it up with a single through the middle. Harman eventually left after the first out of the seventh, having allowed just one hit, three walks and two hit batsmen, while striking out four.

Wright (2-3) was stellar through five innings before fading in the sixth, when he walked three batters and allowed a single. Clemson third baseman John Hinson drew the third walk of the frame with the bases loaded to bring home right fielder Kyle Parker. Two batters later, with two outs and the bases loaded, sophomore right-hander Mathew Price relieved Wright and coaxed Lamb into an inning-ending fly out to center.

Wright finished his 5.2 innings of work having allowed just two runs on two hits, with six strikeouts. He walked a career-high five batters. Price struck out one in 1.1 innings of work.

Two errors and two singles in the bottom of the eighth led to the game’s final run, which came on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Lamb off of Tech reliever Ben Rowen

The Hokies loaded the bases in the top of the ninth, but Haselden got out of the jam to record his first save of the season.

Offensively for the Hokies, first baseman Austin Wates reached base four times without recording an official at-bat. He walked twice and was hit by two pitches.

Because of rain in the forecast for Sunday, the series between the Hokies and Tigers will conclude on Saturday with a double-header. The first game will begin at 2:30 p.m., while the second game will begin at 6:30 p.m., or 45 minutes after the first game ends, whichever time is later.

For updates on Virginia Tech baseball, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_Baseball).

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