Before Boston College caught its breath, it was over.
Clemson erupted for 11 runs in the first inning, the most in a single inning in an ACC regular-season game since 2005, and rolled to a 14-4 win over the Eagles Saturday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium to even the weekend series at one game apiece. The 14-run output is the first time since 1987 the Tigers have scored that many in a single game.
Eleven runs. In the first inning. Against a team that came in 35-15.
Eagles starter Brady Miller never found his footing. Sixteen Clemson batters stepped to the plate before the first inning ended, a blur of singles, walks, hit batters, and two home runs that burned through BC’s pitching chart before the Eagles managed a third out. Four of Boston College’s eight pitchers appeared before the third inning was done, and by the time the dust settled, BC had thrown 139 pitches across six innings trying to limit damage that was already done in the first few minutes of the afternoon.
Nate Savoie provided the signature moment. With Bryce Clavon and Jason Fultz Jr. aboard, the sophomore launched a three-run shot to center for his 16th home run of the season, pushing the lead to 9-0 and finishing Miller’s afternoon after just one-third of an inning. Luke Gaffney answered two batters later with a solo shot to left, his eighth, and it was 10-0 before Boston College batted in the second.
But the homers weren’t where it started. Tyler Lichtenberger’s bunt single plated Jacob Jarrell to make it 3-0. Fultz lined a two-run single down the right-field line. Clavon dropped a bunt up the middle for another run. By the time Savoie cleared the bases, Lichtenberger and Tryston McCladdie had each stolen a base, Jarren Purify had knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly, and six different pitches from two Boston College pitchers had already failed to slow the inning. Savoie, who homered twice at Virginia last month, was the exclamation point on an inning that had already gotten away.
Clavon was the quiet standout in a lineup full of them. The center fielder went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a stolen base, working multiple at-bats deep into counts and making something happen every time he came up. Lichtenberger was just as productive, finishing 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a stolen base in a game where his speed changed what Boston College’s pitchers had to worry about. When those two are contributing in the bottom half of the order, the Tigers’ lineup looks a lot longer than opponents expect.
Michael Sharman worked all six innings and made it easy. The left-hander gave up six hits and two earned runs, walked one, and struck out three, throwing 65 of 87 pitches for strikes. He picked up his sixth win against one loss. Nothing flashy. Just what Clemson needed after a listless 8-4 loss in Friday’s series opener. Sharman has been one of the most consistent starters on this staff all season, and Saturday was another example of him pitching to contact and letting the defense and the run support do the rest.
Boston College is not a pushover. Worth saying. The Eagles sat at 17-9 in conference play coming in, second-best in the ACC and one of the better offensive clubs in the league. Their lineup eventually scratched four runs, capped by a two-run single from shortstop Julio Solier in the seventh. But Clemson’s first inning made all of it irrelevant before the second one started.
Jack Crighton added a two-run single up the middle in the third, and Clavon followed with an RBI single to push the cushion to 14-2. Gaffney, who had a five-RBI night against USC Upstate in April, finished 2-for-3 with a walk. Savoie went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Eight of nine starters reached base.
A day after going hitless with runners in scoring position in a series-opening loss, this offense looked like a completely different group. The 7-16 ACC record has been a grind, but Saturday showed the ceiling of what this lineup can produce on a day when the bats and base running click at the same time.
This is also the last home series of the season. Sunday’s finale at Doug Kingsmore is the last time Clemson plays in front of its home crowd in 2026. For a program trying to finish with something real, Saturday was a statement worth making.
The game ended via the 10-run rule after Boston College batted in the seventh. The series finale is Sunday at Doug Kingsmore, with first pitch set for noon on ESPN2.
