CLEMSON, S.C. -- Mike Melillo and Pat Irvine each homered twice, but it was not enough as the 20th-ranked Clemson Tigers rallied past the Elon Phoenix for an 8-7 baseball victory in game two of a doubleheader from Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Tuesday night. With losses in both ends of the double dip, Elon dropped back-to-back games for just the first time this year and is now 12-7 on the season. Clemson now sits at 16-6.
Elon jumped on top early in the nightcap when Melillo belted a two-out, two-run homer down the right field line in the first inning. It was the fourth home run of the year for Melillo.
The Phoenix lead stretched to 3-0 in the second. With
Zeth Stone on first after a single,
Cory Harrilchak singled to center. Elon should have had runners on the corners with two outs, however, the Tiger center fielder misplayed the ball which allowed Stone to score.
Jason Schaus drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch with two outs in the bottom of the second before Phil Pohl singled through the right side to put runners on the corners. Chris Epps ripped a 3-1 pitch over the wall in right-center to knot the score at three. It was the first homer of the year for Epps.
Melillo struck again in the third, crushing another two-run homer. This one brought home
Bennett Davis who had reached on an error. The blast gave Melillo his second career multi-homer game of his career.
The Tigers started their half of the third with a single from Mike Freeman and a RBI double off the bat of Ben Paulsen which brought Clemson within a run at 5-4. Ben Paulsen then walked before a pickoff attempt at second was muffed by Stone. The error allowed Paulsen to score the tying run. Matt Sanders' double put runners on second and third before a pitching change was made. Schaus then walked to load the bags, but Clemson was unable to push across the go-ahead run as
Jared Kernodle got a double play that erased the two lead runners before getting a fly out to end the inning.
Clemson loaded the bases again in the fourth thanks to a one-out single from Brad Miller and two-out walks to Paulsen and Kyle Parker. Kernodle then fanned Sanders to keep the game even at five.
Irvine led off the Phoenix fifth with his sixth home run of the year to put Elon back on top, 6-5.
The Tigers got it tied again in the fifth when Schaus, who doubled to begin the at bat, scored on a ground ball to second. On the play pinch-hitter Will Lamb reached thanks to a throwing error. After Lamb stole second, Miller grounded a ball to second that was misplayed again and Lamb raced home with the go-ahead score.
Elon threatened in the seventh as Harrilchak walked to start the frame and moved to third on Melillo's two-out single. After Melillo stole second,
Chase Austin flew out to right and the Tigers preserved their 7-6 lead.
Jason Stolz singled to begin the bottom of the seventh before heading to third on a hit-and-run single off the bat of John Nester. Epps followed with a sac fly to center to score Stolz with Clemson's eighth run of the contest.
Irvine's two-out solo shot in the ninth provided the final margin.
Tom Porter (0-1) took the loss in relief. Porter allowed one unearned run in two-thirds of an inning.
Craig Gullickson (1-0) was the winner after giving up just one run on three hits in 3.0 innings. Tomas Cruz threw the ninth to earn his first save of the year.
For Elon, Melillo was 3-for-4 with two runs and four RBI. Irvine went 2-for-4 with two runs and two driven in. Austin finished 3-for-4 as well. With his 2-for-4 game, Harrilchak extended his hitting streak to a career-best 19 games and has now reached safely in 52 straight games.
Epps led the Tiger attack with a career-best four RBI. Miller, Freeman, Paulsen and Schaus all had two hits.
The Phoenix remains on the road for a three-game SoCon series at Georgia Southern beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday night.
-- ELON --