The No. 2 Clemson baseball team fell to the NC State Wolfpack at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Saturday night, losing 4-0.
Despite plenty of chances to get runs on the board, Clemson (28-6, 10-4 ACC) was unable to capitalize, losing their first series in ACC play as well, scoring no runs for the first time this season.
The Wolfpack struck early, scoring two runs in the first inning. The team used a double from third baseman Alex Makarewicz and a Clemson fielder’s choice to take an early lead and have control of the contest in the first frame.
NC State would add two more in the third and fifth inning, respectively, coming from Jacob Cozart and Makarwicz. Makarwicz would finish with three hits in the contest.
What separated the Tigers from the Wolfpack was the inability to score with runners in scoring position. Clemson went 0-for-8 from these opportunities, which contributed to their shutout for the first time in 132 games, dating back to March 25, 2022 against Pittsburgh.
NC State’s pitching would strike out 11 Clemson batters, only allowing five hits throughout the nine innings of gameplay. Many of these strikeouts would take place while the Tigers had runners in scoring position.
The only two with hits for Clemson on Saturday night were infielder Blake Wright and catcher Jacob Jarrell. Wright would continue his excellent stretch of games with adding three hits in the loss, while Jarrell would record two of his own.
The team saw incredible production from pitcher Ethan Darden, who pitched a complete game. Through these nine innings, he gave up seven hits and struck out five batters.
The Tigers will look to avoid their first sweep of the series on Sunday, where the team will face off against the Wolfpack for the final game of the series. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.
