Duke rallies past Tigers

Behind 11 singles, one double and three crucial double plays, Duke defeated Clemson 5-3 to take the opening game in the series at Jack Coombs Field on Friday night.

The Blue Devils, who took a 1-0 lead in the series, improved to 16-14 overall and 5-8 in the ACC. The Tigers fell to 22-8 overall and 7-6 in ACC play.

Clemson (22-8, 7-6 ACC) took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on Weston Wilson’s run-scoring triple. But the Blue Devils (16-14, 5-8) scored two runs in the third inning, and added runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings.

The Blue Devils turned double plays in the third, fourth and sixth innings to stifle Tiger rallies. Seth Beer went 2-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 26 games, tied for fourth longest in school history.

Duke starter Bailey Clark (3-3) earned the win, tossing five effective innings. He gave up six hits, three runs and two walks with four strikeouts. Mitch Stallings pitched the ninth to record his third save. Tiger starter Clate Schmidt (5-1) suffered his first loss of the season, giving up four runs on 10 hits in six innings.

The series continues Saturday at 1 p.m.

This story was originally published April 8, 2016 at 11:26 PM with the headline "Duke rallies past Tigers."