By Sam Walters
The Clemson Tigers defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish this past Sunday in an extra-inning thriller, scoring two runs off of two errors and sealing the game 13-12. With their victory against Notre Dame, they have earned their seventh straight weekend series this season, and their fourth ACC series win.
Their series started with a big 7-3 win in Indiana, where the Fighting Irish went into the 8th inning with the lead. After a double from outfielder Blake Wright sent catcher Jimmy Obertop across the plate, first baseman Jacob Hinderleider hit a double for another RBI. To put a bow on the lead, left fielder Will Taylor nailed a homer to score two additional runs, totaling four in the inning, and Obertop capped off his massive performance with a two-run homer in the ninth.
After their Game One win, Notre Dame’s defense stepped up to another level. Starting pitcher Jack Radel played the first five innings, only allowing three hits for the Tigers. However, Clemson pitcher Ethan Darden outshined him, only allowing five hits and a single run in seven innings. Hinderleider had another great day, recording a home run in the fourth inning and making 12 putouts at first base. Center fielder Cam Cannarella followed Hinderleider’s lead, nailing a homer of his own in the following inning.
After an RBI in the seventh inning, the Tigers took a 3-1 lead and never looked back, allowing only one run in the final inning to secure the series win.
Finally, in a fight to secure their third series sweep this year, Clemson fought a challenging and high-scoring affair with the Fighting Irish. The Tigers scored the first six runs of the game in the fourth inning, gained from a score off a two-out error, a two-run double from designated hitter Nolan Nawrocki, and a three-run homer from catcher Jacob Jarrell, his first of the year.
Hinderleider followed the scoring streak with a two-run double, which extended his hitting streak to 11 straight games. After an RBI from a Jaren Purify line out and a homer from Obertop, his seventh of the season, the Tigers sat at 11-1. The Fighting Irish refused to quit, scoring ten unanswered runs in the last three innings, including a three-run homer from infielder Estevan Moreno.
After tying up the game, neither team scored in extra innings. The Tigers took the lead in the eleventh inning, scoring two runs from two crucial errors. Notre Dame scored one run in the bottom of the inning but could not extend the game, giving up the sweep.
The true MVP of Game Three was freshman pitcher Aidan Knaak, who took the start and delivered. He pitched seven innings and only gave up three hits, one run and no walks. For his incredible performance, he earned ACC Co-Pitcher-of-the-Week, the first Tiger freshman to earn Pitcher Honors since 2016.
The Clemson Tigers head home to face USC Upstate in the final game of their season series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Tuesday, April 9, at 6 p.m.
Be sure to tune into The ROAR for pregame coverage of the Series finale at 5:30 p.m.!
