DURHAM, N.C. -- No. 12 Clemson scored three runs in the eighth inning to rally for a 7-6 victory over No. 20 N.C. State in the ACC Tournament at Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Thursday night.
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The Tigers, who upped their record to 2-0 in the ACC Tournament, won their fifth game in a row and improved to 43-15 on the season. The Wolfpack, who were 0-1 in the tourney, dropped to 33-19 in 2025.
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Clemson scored the game’s first run in the second inning on Jacob Jarrell’s sacrifice fly.
In the fourth inning, the Wolfpack scored two runs to take the lead, including the go-ahead run on a two-out wild pitch.
The Tigers responded with a run in the top of the fifth inning on Andrew Ciufo’s bunt single to tie the score, then Jarren Purify’s bunt single scored the go-ahead run later in the frame. NC State tied the score in the bottom of the fifth inning when Ty Head scored from second base on a groundout.
Jarrell blasted a solo homer, his 14th of the season, in the top of the sixth inning to give Clemson a 4-3 lead, then NC State answered again with two runs on four straight hits to begin the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 5-4 lead.
In the top of the eighth inning, Jarrell lined a single to score the tying run, then TP Wentworth ripped a single to score the go-ahead run. Ciufo followed with a run-scoring single. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Brayden Fraasman grounded a run-scoring single to narrow the Tiger lead to 7-6.
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Clemson outhit N.C. State 16-12.
Cam Cannarella led Clemson’s 16-hit attack by going 4-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to 17 games. Jack Crighton added three hits for the Tigers.
Lucas Mahlstedt (3-0) pitched 4.0 innings to earn the win, while Anderson Nance (8-2) suffered the loss. Drew Titsworth (5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K) got the start for Clemson, while B.J. Bailey (0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER) joined Mahlstedt in relief.
The Tigers advance to play No. 1 seed Georgia Tech in the semifinals on Saturday at 1 p.m. on the ACC Network. Clemson is the designated visiting team and occupies the first-base dugout.
