The No. 4 Clemson Tigers found themselves in an early hole against Davidson on Sunday afternoon but responded with an offensive explosion, highlighted by a clutch three-run home run from centerfielder Cam Cannarella. The Tigers roared back to claim an 11-4 victory at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, securing the series sweep and extending their impressive winning streak to 13 games.
Clemson (15-1) came into the game riding high after two strong performances against Davidson (7-7) earlier in the weekend. However, the Wildcats came out aggressive and quickly put the Tigers on their heels.
In the top of the third inning, Davidson took advantage of a two-out rally. After a single and a hit-by-pitch put two runners on, Chris Schuchart delivered a two-run single to right field, giving Davidson a 2-0 lead. The Wildcats weren’t done, as Michael O’Shaughnessy followed with an RBI single to extend the lead to 3-0.
One inning later, Davidson’s Cider Canon launched a solo home run over the left-field wall, pushing the Wildcats’ advantage to 4-0. The momentum was firmly in Davidson’s favor as Clemson struggled to get anything going offensively through the first five innings.
The Tigers remained scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning, where they finally began to show some energy. Clemson managed to score two runs, narrowing the gap, but the real excitement unfolded in the seventh inning
Cam Cannarella, who had been a key player for the Tigers all season, stepped up to the plate with two runners on base. With one powerful swing, he changed the course of the game. Cannarella launched a three-run home run over the left-center field fence, igniting the crowd at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. It was his first home run of the season, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Cannarella’s homer gave Clemson its first lead of the game at 5-4, but the Tigers weren’t done yet. The offense continued to surge as Dominic Listi followed with a bases-clearing three-run double, widening the gap significantly. Jarren Purify finished off the explosive inning with an RBI single, extending Clemson’s lead to 10-4.
Although the offense found its rhythm late in the game, Clemson’s bullpen was key to clinching the win. Reliever Reed Garris stepped in and threw two flawless innings, effectively silencing Davidson’s hitters and earning his first victory of the season.
The Tigers tacked on an extra run in the eighth inning, finalizing the score at 11-4. What began as a challenging afternoon transformed into another impressive performance for Clemson, highlighting their resilience and knack for coming through in critical situations.
The victory extended Clemson’s winning streak to 13 games, marking one of the best starts in program history. Head coach Erik Bakich praised his team’s resilience after the game.
With the sweep of Davidson complete, Clemson turns its attention to a midweek matchup against Liberty. The Tigers will host the Flames for a two-game series beginning Tuesday at 4 p.m. before gearing up for a crucial weekend series against ACC rival Georgia Tech.
As Clemson continues to prove itself as one of the top teams in the country, Sunday’s win served as another reminder of this teams ability to stay composed and deliver when it matters most.
