Clemson falls in ACC series to No. 5 North Carolina after big loss

Clemson baseball had a chance to grab a statement ACC series over the weekend, but things unraveled quickly after Saturday’s long loss.

After falling in a 14-inning battle on Saturday, head coach Erik Bakich challenged his team to respond on Sunday. Instead, North Carolina took control early and never let up, rolling to a 12-5 win at Doug Kingsmore Stadium to take the series.

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The turning point came in the fourth inning, when the Tar Heels broke things open with five runs. That inning flipped a close game into a comfortable lead, and Clemson never fully recovered. North Carolina finished with 16 hits on the day, getting production throughout the lineup, while consistently putting pressure on the Tigers’ pitching staff.

Clemson’s issues on the mound were hard to ignore. The Tigers used eight different pitchers, combining for eight walks and six hit batters. That lack of control gave North Carolina plenty of extra opportunities, and they took advantage nearly every time. In contrast, the Tar Heels kept things steady with just four pitchers.

Offensively, Clemson had some bright spots but couldn’t keep pace. Jason Fultz Jr. drove in a run with a double in the second inning, and Luke Gaffney added an RBI double later in the game. Bryce Clavon delivered the biggest hit with a bases-clearing triple in the sixth as the Tigers tried to claw back, but the deficit was already too large.

The loss dropped Clemson to 23-14 overall and 5-10 in ACC play. More concerning, the Tigers are still searching for their first conference series win at home this season.

It’s a tough result considering how close Clemson was to winning the series. The Tigers took the opener on Friday and held a late lead on Saturday before the offense went quiet over the final innings, allowing North Carolina to even things up and eventually take control of the weekend.

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Clemson now turns its attention to a midweek matchup against Charlotte on Tuesday night at Truist Field before hitting the road again for another challenging ACC series later in the week.

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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson baseball drops ACC series to No. 5 North Carolina Tar Heels