CLEMSON -- Josh Paino’s two-run homer in the fifth inning broke a 3-3 tie and lifted No. 4 Clemson to a 6-4 victory over The Citadel at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Tuesday night.
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The Tigers, who took a 1-0 lead in the midweek series, improved to 20-2, while the Bulldogs dropped to 11-10.
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Can Cannarella’s single in the first inning scored the game’s first run, then the Bulldogs took advantage of an error to score two runs in the top of the third inning. Paino’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third inning tied the score 2-2, then Clemson took the lead on a two-out error.
The Bulldogs tied the score in the top of the fifth inning on Lane Tobin’s run-scoring single.
Paino gave Clemson the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning with a two-run homer, his fifth of the year, then The Citadel came right back and scored a run on Noah Cadiz’s double in the sixth inning.
Jarren Purify flared a two-out single to score a run in the eighth inning.
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Cannarella, who lifted his season average to .351, led Clemson at the plate by going 5-for-5 with an RBI, two runs and his first steal since 2023.
The Tigers outhit the Bulldogs 10-8.
Nathan Dvorsky (4-0) earned the win by tossing 1.1 innings in relief, while Lucas Mahlstedt pitched 2.0 innings to record his seventh save of the year. Brendon Bennett got the start for the Tigers, going two innings and allowing one hit, two earned runs, a walk and a strikeout. Chayce Kieck (2.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 K) and Luke Brown (1.0 IP, 1 K) joined Dvorsky and Mahlstedt in picking up work out of the bullpen.
Yates Bland (1-3) suffered the loss, as he gave up two runs on three hits in 1.0 innings pitched.
The midweek series concludes Wednesday at 6 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
