Louisville Blows Six-Run Lead, Walked Off by Clemson in ACC Pool Play

The Cardinals go 0-2 in pool play, and now wait for their NCAA Tournament draw.

Louisville baseball right-handed pitcher Kaleb Corbett / Jared Anderson - Louisville Report

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
UL	1	3	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	7	8	1
CU	0	0	0	1	0	3	0	3	1	8	14	1

W: Austin Gordon (2-2), L: Tucker Biven (4-3)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A few days removed from falling to Miami and being eliminated from advancing to the ACC Baseball Championship semifinals, Louisville squandered a massive opportunity to boost their NCAA Tournament, blowing a six-run lead to get walked off 8-7 against Clemson on Friday at Truist Field.

The seventh-seeded Cardinals (32-24, 16-14 ACC) led 6-0 through the first 4.5 innings of the game, but were out-scored 8-1 in the second half of the game. The No. 3 ranked and second-seeded Tigers (41-14, 20-10 ACC) scored four runs in the final two inning, including a bases loaded walk in the ninth.

Louisville goes 0-2 in pool play, and now head back home where they will await their NCAA Tournament fate. They entered the ACC Baseball Championship squarely on the bubble. After Clemson also fell to Miami on Thursday, the Canes clinch Pool B.

The selection show will take place on Monday, May 27 at 12:00 p.m. EST, and will be televised on ESPN2.

The loss wasted good showings at the plate from Dylan Hoy (2-3, 2 RBI, 2 2B, BB) and Luke Napleton (1-4, HR 2 RBI), who each drove in a pair of runs. Hoy and J.T. Benson (2-4, HR, RBI) each had multi-hit day, while both Benson and Napleton hit home runs.

Unlike their game against Miami, Louisville got off to a hot start against Clemson, plating six runs over the first four innings of the contest.

Benson launched a leadoff home run on just the third pitch of the game, while in the second inning, Napleton blasted a two-run homer and Hoy hit an RBI double. Gavin Kilen (1-4, RBI, 2B) collected an RBI groundout in the third, then Hoy struck again with another RBI double in the fourth.

Over on the mound, Sebastian Gongora (5.2 IP, 6 K, 1 BB, 8 H, 3 ER) put together a solid start in the must-win game. He kept Clemson off the scoreboard over his first three innings, then even when the Tigers started get some momentum, he kept his composure. He allowed an RBI single in the fourth, but got massive double plays in both the fourth and fifth innings to limit the damage.

Then in the sixth, Clemson made things interesting. After Gongora allowed a two-out triple, Evan Webster (1.1 IP, 1 K, 1 BB, 2 H, 3 ER) was inserted in relief. The Tigers jumped on the pitching change, immediately hitting a two-run homer to pull within a pair of runs.

Hoy scored on a fielding error in the seventh to get a run back, but Louisville saw their lead evaporate in the final two frames.

Webster was pulled after he allowed the first two batters of the eighth to reach base, to which Tucker Biven (1.1 IP, 2 K, 1 BB, 4 H, 2 ER) promptly allowed a game-tying, three-run homer. Biven then allowed three straight one-out singles in the ninth, with a bases loaded walk officially sealing the loss.

(Photo of Kaleb Corbett: Jared Anderson - Louisville Report)

You can follow Louisville Report for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram:

Facebook - @LouisvilleReport
Twitter - @UofLReport
Instagram - @louisville_report

You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter