In a game that felt more like a College World Series preview than an early May showdown, No. 3 Clemson fell 6-5 to No. 5 Florida State in a dramatic 11-inning contest Friday night at Dick Howser Stadium. With both teams battling for postseason positioning and the energy of over 6,000 fans pulsing through the stadium, Florida State delivered late-game heroics to snatch victory away from the Tigers in one of the most thrilling games of the season.
Florida State’s bats were silent for much of the night until a furious rally began in the bottom of the ninth. Trailing 4-2, Nathan Cmeyla led off the inning with a single, advancing to second after Alex Lodise was intentionally walked. Max Williams came through in the clutch, skipping a single past Clemson third baseman Josh Paino and into left field.
The throw home was close, but home plate umpire Travis Carlson called Cmeyla safe at the plate. Clemson head coach Erik Bakich quickly appealed the call, prompting a lengthy video review. After several tense minutes, the ruling was upheld, sending the FSU dugout and the crowd into a frenzy. The score was now tied at 4-4, and the momentum had completely shifted.
The late-inning theatrics didn’t end there. In the top of the 10th, Dominic Listi launched a solo home run to briefly give the Tigers a 5-4 lead. It was a continuation of his remarkable season, which also saw him set a single-season Clemson record earlier in the game with his 22nd hit-by-pitch. However, Listi’s go-ahead blast would be answered immediately.
In the bottom half of the 10th, Max Williams stepped up again and blasted a solo shot of his own, his 16th home run of the season, to even the score once more, this time at 5-5. The back-and-forth battle continued into the 11th, where Williams once again delivered, lining a walk-off RBI single to right that scored the winning run and sealed the 6-5 Florida State victory.
Clemson’s offense showed life throughout the night. Chase Williams had a standout performance at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, a stolen base, and a run scored. He raised his season batting average to .426 and was a constant spark for the Tigers. In the seventh inning, Clemson took its first lead of the night thanks to some timely pinch-hitting.
James Hankerson came off the bench with two outs and roped an RBI double down the line to score Chase Williams and tie the game at 2-2. BJ Gibson entered as a pinch runner and soon after scored the go-ahead run on a single by Gage Harrelson, giving Clemson a 3-2 lead heading into the final innings.
Florida State starter Jamie Arnold was effective early, tossing six shutout innings and allowing just two hits. He navigated early scoring threats with poise and benefited from a highlight-reel defensive play in the sixth inning. After Collin Priest appeared to score on a sacrifice fly, center fielder Max Williams made a catch and fired to third to double off Luke Gaffney.
Priest had been jogging toward home but failed to score before Cal Fisher applied the tag for the third out, wiping the run off the board and preserving FSU’s 1-0 lead at the time.
Arnold was chased in the seventh after allowing a leadoff walk, and Clemson capitalized. Reliever Joe Charles entered but was unable to stop the bleeding, giving up two hits, a walk, and two runs in just a third of an inning.
Josh Paino’s RBI double to right highlighted the Tigers’ three-run seventh, which seemed to have turned the tide. Charles had been one of Florida State’s most consistent bullpen arms this season, but Clemson was able to break through in a big spot.
Clemson starter Aidan Knaak turned in a solid outing, going 5.2 innings while giving up just three hits, two runs (one earned), three walks, and striking out four. He kept FSU off balance for most of the night and gave the Tigers a chance to win. John Abraham later entered in relief, giving up two runs across three innings of work.
Fisher hit a solo home run in the sixth for FSU, his seventh of the season, to extend the Seminoles’ lead to 2-0. Drew Faurot also added a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning to account for FSU’s first run, which was unearned.
With the loss, Clemson falls to 34-9 on the season and 14-6 in ACC play. Florida State improves to 32-9 overall and 13-6 in the conference. The win was a crucial one for the Seminoles, who are aiming not only to secure a regional host bid but to bolster their case for a top-eight national seed. The two teams will meet again on Saturday as Clemson looks to bounce back and even the series.
