North Carolina vs Clemson Baseball Recap

(29) North Carolina 5, (24) Clemson 3

North Carolina ace Matt Harvey made the Clemson Tigers look - and look bad - at the plate on Friday night in Clemson, S.C.

Harvey tossed a complete game, striking out 15 batters in the Tar Heels' 5-3 win at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

Throwing an astounding 156 pitches, Harvey kept the Clemson hitters off-balance, with the majority of his 15 strikeouts being while Tiger batters watched a ball sail by to the catcher... keeping the bat on their shoulders. If Clemson sluggers were looking for fastballs, Harvey delivered a two-strike breaking ball. When Tigers were expecting the off-speed stuff, Harvey brought the heat and created a lot of backwards Ks on the score sheet.

UNC broke open the close contest and gained a 5-2 lead with a two-run home run from third basemen Levi Michael in the seventh inning off Clemson starter Casey Harman. Michael delivered 4 RBIs and his lead-changing double in the fifth inning - which hit the top of the wall - prompted UNC coach Mike Fox to argue with the umpires for a home run, but to no avail. Michael and second baseman Dilon Hazlett each had 3 hits as the Heels' top offensive performers for the game. 

Clemson’s conference losing streak extended to five games with this setback, as the Tigers had few chances to rally down the stretch after losing their 2-1 lead in the fifth. An error by third baseman John Hinson and the following two-run double from Michael gave the Heels a lead they would never relinquish.

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Clemson’s Harman got the loss after giving up eight hits and three earned runs with five strikeouts in seven innings of work. He was an out away from escaping trouble in the seventh inning before Michael's decisive two-run shot to right center. Harman was inconsistent at different points in the game—he would be dominant in some stretches, but at other key junctures, he gave up the big hits that turned the tide and allowed the Heels to pick up the victory.

Hinson and his teammate, leftfielder Kyle Parker, were the only Clemson batters who showed up Friday as they produced four of the Tigers' six total hits, two of the team's three RBIs, and all three runs against Harvey. The rest of the Clemson hitters watched strike three after strike three pound the catcher's mitt like it was a scene from Groundhog Day. They were slightly more aggressive towards the end of the game, but the night ended, fittingly, on a looking strikeout from Tiger DH Wilson Boyd.

Clemson will go with sophomore right-hander Scott Weismann (3-2, 3.98 ERA) in game two of the series. North Carolina will counter with freshman righty Chris Munnelly (1-1, 6.27 ERA). Tigers and Tar Heels meet again at 11:00 a.m. Eastern at Kingsmore Stadium.

By: Brandon Rink
DFN Sports Senior Guest Writer