In its second extra-innings game in as many days, Clearwater avoided losing in the bottom of the seventh before winning in the ninth.
After seven scoreless innings, the Tigers' bats woke up with four runs in the top of the ninth inning to beat Greenville 6-2 on Tuesday at Greenville.
"I think we just stayed within ourselves and we trusted the process, what we've been saying all year long and we pulled this one out," Clearwater coach Cole Sheets said.
With runners on the corners in the ninth, Karson Fay hit a shallow single to right field to put Clearwater (6-2) ahead.
Trey Rivas, who had a solo home run in the second inning, followed with a two-run single.
The top five spots in the Clearwater lineup, with Fay bating second and Rivas fourth, had seven of the team's 10 hits and scored five runs.
Heath Ayers, Rivas and Jackson Eaton each had two hits and Rivas finished with three RBIs.
Dylan Banks scored to put Greenville (4-5) ahead in the top of the first inning, and the Bears tried and failed a couple of times to drive in timely runs.
They had the bases-loaded in the fourth inning before Clearwater pitcher Jesse Holmes escaped unscathed.
In the bottom of the seventh, Tye Huff sliced a triple to the corner in right field and Tryston Kelsoe drove him in to tie the game.
One more timely hit likely would have won the game for the Bears, but again Holmes escaped.
"The runners in scoring position is our bugaboo here recently. We've got to get those runners home," Greenville coach Jeremy Smith said. "Our bottom of the order has to find a way to get those runners in."
Both starting pitchers were dominant.
Holmes allowed five hits and three walks with seven strikeouts over seven innings while Greenville's Alex Hicks allowed six hits and three walks with four strikeouts.
"Jesse was dominant on the mound today. He needs to trust his stuff a little bit more than what he does. He kind of tries to get, what I call cute, instead of just going right after them. Defense for both sides was excellent," Sheets said.
Added Smith, "Alex Hicks was spot on early on. Missed a fastball outside on the Rivas kid and he hit a home run."
Tanner Wilkins pitched a perfect final two innings for Clearwater, got three strikeouts and the win.
Jack Becker relieved Hicks with Clearwater threatening in the top of the seventh with one out and was able to get out of the inning. Becker, in the loss, ultimately allowed four hits and a walk with three strikeouts. The move to a harder throwing pitcher may have benefitted the Tigers, whom Sheets thought were able to more easily time the faster pitches.
"For some reason, when we get that softer pitcher we can't stay back. We get antsy and try to attack it instead of letting it come to us," Sheets said.
Both coaches complimented strong defensive play behind both pitchers.
Greenville's Noah Suratt made a diving catch in center in extra innings to rob a likely double or worse, and both infields made numerous difficult grounders look easy.
"He does a really good job of reading the ball off the bat," Smith said of Suratt. "The great thing about him, is he is a warrior. He will sacrifice his body for the betterment of the team just to make the play and I can't ask anything more from him."
After winning their first four games of the season, the Bears have dropped five straight, consistently struggling with errors and stranding runners during that span. Though the defense showed improvement against Clearwater, the Bears still committed three errors.