LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – Jalen Phillips had a two-run single after Michael Smiciklas’ RBI hit in the top of the eighth inning and Duke rallied past Clemson 6-3 on Tuesday night in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.
Smiciklas also doubled and scored on a fielding error in the fifth, and Jimmy Herron singled in Max Miller with the tying run in the seventh as the ninth-seeded Blue Devils (29-27) scored five unanswered runs to overcome a 3-1 deficit and win the Pool D contest. Duke will face fourth-seeded Virginia on Thursday.
Reliever Nick Hendrix (3-1) pitched 3 1/3 hitless innings to get the win for Duke, which had 12 hits. Herron went 3 for 4 for the Blue Devils.
Fifth-seeded Clemson (39-18) built its lead on three solo homers, including leadoff shots in the first and second innings by Chase Pinder and Andrew Cox. Logan Davidson went deep in the third to make it 3-1, but Duke came back to end a two-game slide. The Tigers also committed two errors.