No. 2 Clemson Blasted by No. 25 NC State in Game One Mercy Rule Mayhem

From Georgia Glory to ACC Gut Punch

Just two days after a statement win over No. 5 Georgia, the No. 2 ranked Clemson Tigers walked into Doak Field in Raleigh with swagger, confidence, and every reason to believe they’d keep their hot streak alive. At 36-7 overall and 13-5 in ACC play, Clemson had been bulldozing its way through the regular season. Add in an elite starting pitcher like Aidan Knaak on the mound, and it looked like another chapter in the Tigers’ dominance was about to be written.

But in front of their home crowd, No. 25 NC State had a very different script in mind.

What unfolded Friday night was not just an upset—it was a full-on ambush.

Early Clemson Firepower Fizzles

Clemson came out swinging in the top of the first. Dominic Listi drew a leadoff walk, and while both Cam Cannarella and Jarren Purify flew out, they each caught barrels. Then Collin Priest stepped to the plate and unloaded on a ball, sending it opposite field over the left-field fence for his ninth home run of the season. Just like that, Clemson led 2-0 and looked like the No. 2 team in the country.

But from there, the wheels fell off—and fast.

Aidan Knaak Gets Lit Up

Aidan Knaak, undefeated at 6-0 coming in, faced trouble immediately in the bottom of the first. The Wolfpack tagged him for three runs on four hits, and it wouldn’t get any easier from there. NC State added another run in the second, and then blew the game wide open in the third with a three-run barrage that made it 7-2. By the time the fourth inning wrapped up, it was clear: this wasn’t Knaak’s night. He exited with a rough line: four innings, eleven hits, eight earned runs, and only two strikeouts. A guy many believes is one of the best arms in the ACC got chased early and hard.

Missed Chances, No Punch Back

Clemson, meanwhile, had chance after chance—but just couldn’t cash in. They had base runners, drawing walks and sneaking singles through, but NC State pitchers stepped up when it mattered. Even after Andrew Ciufo launched his fifth homer of the year in the fifth to make it 8-3, the Tigers still couldn’t string together the big inning they desperately needed. Jacob Jarrell added an RBI single that same inning to cut it to 8-4, but momentum never fully shifted.

The Pack Smells Blood

The Wolfpack weren’t done, either. A solo homer from Brayden Fraasman in the sixth stretched the lead, and by the eighth inning, the game was spiraling. Clemson’s bullpen, which had already cycled through Noah Samol, Nathan Dvorsky, and Michael Gillen, who’s return has been awaited, gave way to Justin LeGuernic in the eighth. He didn’t fare much better. Fraasman smacked his second homer of the night—a two-run blast—and a wild pitch brought in yet another NC State run. Then, with two outs and a runner on second, Josh Hogue drilled a double to left center that ended the game via mercy rule, 14-4.

Yes, you read that right. The No. 2 team in the country lost by ten. In eight innings.

Trouble in Raleigh 

There’s no dancing around it—this was a gut punch. Clemson, a team that’s been applauded for its depth, balance, and pitching performances especially from Aidan Knakk, got manhandled by an NC State squad that came in with a chip on its shoulder and left with a mic drop.

So what now?

This loss doesn’t end Clemson’s season—not even close—but it does throw a spotlight on some cracks. Can this team respond to adversity? Is the bullpen trustworthy against elite bats? And perhaps most importantly: is Clemson ready for the postseason intensity that’s creeping around the corner?

Round Two Incoming

Game 2 of the series is tomorrow night at 6 p.m. on ACC Network Extra. Expect Erik Bakich to make some serious adjustments. Because after tonight’s humbling beatdown, one thing’s for sure: the pressure’s on.

And in Raleigh, the Pack just proved they don’t mind a little blood in the water.