DURHAM, N.C. — Riley Bertram homered for the first time this season — a go-ahead three-run shot in an eight-run seventh inning — and Clemson rallied to beat Miami 11-5 in the championship game of the ACC Tournament on Sunday for the Tigers’ 16th-straight win.
No. 3 seed Clemson (43-17) had run-scoring singles from Caden Grice and Riley Bertram in the bottom of the first inning to grab a 2-0 lead. Leadoff hitter Cam Cannarella homered with two outs in the second to push the lead to 3-0.
Miami, seeded fourth, chipped away with two runs in the top of the third. Dominic Pitelli led off with a double and No. 9 hitter Jacoby Long followed with an RBI single for the first run. Long scored with two outs on a wild pitch by reliever Nick Clayton.
Zach Levenson‘s solo homer in the fourth pulled the Hurricanes even. Miami took a 5-3 lead in the top of the fifth on an RBI double by Blake Cyr and a bases-loaded walk to Renzo Gonzalez.
The Tigers’ winning rally started with a walk to Will Taylor and a single by Grice. Billy Amick doubled in Taylor and Bertram, who bats sixth, followed with his game-winner. Taylor finished off the eight-run outburst with a three-run homer.
Jackson Lindley (3-3) allowed a hit and a walk in two innings of relief to get the win.
Reliever Alejandro Torres (4-1) was tagged with his first loss of the season for Miami, yielding three runs — two earned — on three hits in 2/3 of an inning.
Miami beat top-seeded Wake Forest, ranked first in the coaches poll, 7-2 in the semifinals.