Clemson Baseball Drops Series Finale to Duke, Third Straight Series Loss

Dominic Listi (6) (Photo By Charles Mays/Mays SportsWire)

Setting the Stage at Doug Kingsmore Stadium

With the series tied 1-1, Clemson returned to Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Sunday afternoon with high stakes and heavy emotions. It was Senior Day. It was Mother’s Day. And it was a chance for the Tigers to regain their footing after a chaotic Game Two loss to Duke.

Saturday’s 15-10 defeat had left Clemson reeling, exposing glaring weaknesses in bullpen depth and situational execution. Despite an explosive six-run first inning the day prior, the Tigers were ultimately sunk by a disastrous seventh inning in which the Blue Devils plated 10 runs on just four hits.

Now, Clemson had a shot to reset the tone, steady the ship, and show that it was ready for the pressure cooker of postseason baseball. BJ Bailey got the start for the Tigers, while Duke countered with Henry Zatkowski.

Let’s dive into how things unraveled this Sunday afternoon.

A Promising Start

Bailey came out composed and efficient, working through the first two innings with little trouble. He allowed just one hit in the first and two more in the second, aided by a crisp double play and two punchouts. Clemson, however, was quiet in the bottom of the first, going down in order.

The Tigers struck in the second. Josh Paino led off with a single and Dominic Listi followed with a double down the right field line. A groundout from Jacob Jarrell scored Paino, and Luke Gaffney added another RBI with a single to left. After walks to Andrew Ciufo and Cam Cannarella, Jack Crighton nearly broke the game open, but his deep fly ball was tracked down at the wall.

Clemson had a 2-0 lead, momentum, and their starter was cruising.

Midgame Collapse

After another scoreless frame from Bailey in the third, the game began to slip in the fourth. Duke’s Jake Hyde launched a solo home run to right center, followed by back-to-back hits. A sac bunt tied the game, and Bailey was suddenly under pressure. He managed to escape with a fly out, but the score was now 2-2.

Clemson’s offense stalled again in the fourth, and the fifth inning would become the turning point — not just for the game, but perhaps for the Tigers’ regular season narrative.

Bailey allowed a walk and a double, putting two runners in scoring position with no outs. Duke’s AJ Gracia — who had been scorching hot all weekend — delivered a sac fly to give Duke its first lead of the game. What followed was a nightmare: a hit-by-pitch, a three-run homer by Hyde (his second of the game), and a solo shot from Tyler Albright.

In just minutes, a 2-2 tie had turned into a 7-2 deficit.

Bailey was pulled after 4.1 innings, finishing with a rough line: 9 hits, 7 runs, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts. Nathan Dvorsky entered and immediately steadied the bleeding with back-to-back strikeouts, keeping Clemson within striking distance.

Offense Goes Cold

From the bottom of the fifth through the eighth, Clemson’s offense was largely ineffective. Cannarella singled in the fifth but was caught stealing. The Tigers went 1-2-3 in both the third, fourth, sixth, and eighth innings. The lack of situational hitting — an issue throughout the series — continued to rear its head.

Dvorsky, meanwhile, gave Clemson a fighting chance with one of the best relief outings as of late. Over 2.2 innings, he struck out seven, walked one, and didn’t allow a hit. But after issuing a walk to start the eighth, Joe Allen came in and surrendered back-to-back hits to load the bases. A double play brought in another Duke run, and the inning ended with Duke leading 8-2.

Late Push, But Not Enough

The ninth inning saw a flicker of life from the Tigers. Josh Paino walked, Dominic Listi singled, and after a strikeout, Luke Gaffney lifted a sac fly to right to make it 8-3. Then, Jarren Purify — who struggled at the plate all weekend — delivered an RBI double to right-center to score Listi. But it was too little, too late. Ciufo struck out swinging to end the game and the series.

Final: Duke 8, Clemson 4.

Three Straight Series Losses — Time for Urgency

Clemson’s loss marked its third consecutive series defeat, falling to 38-15 overall and 15-12 in the ACC. In Sunday’s finale, the Tigers struck out 11 times and went just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

It’s a troubling trend: Clemson’s offense, once dynamic and explosive, has grown inconsistent. The bullpen has been shaky, and starting pitchers are struggling to provide length and stability.

Here are the key issues that continue to plague the Tigers:

Pitching Depth: Bailey had a strong opening few innings but faded quickly, and there’s growing concern about whether Clemson’s starters can carry games deep enough to protect a shaky bullpen.

Situational Hitting: One hit in seven RISP opportunities is not going to cut it in postseason play. Clutch hitting — a hallmark of elite teams — has been absent in recent weeks.

Erik Bakich Post Game Thoughts

After the game, head coach Erik Bakich didn’t sugarcoat the situation once again:

“In terms of how we’ve played the last three weeks, it kind of feels like we’re up against the ropes, backs against the walls and that's a good spot to be in because there’s only one thing to do when you’re backed up and that's to fight.”

Bakich emphasized that this is a defining moment for the team:

“The identity of this team is gonna be revealed in how we respond to this adversity.”

Bakich talks on hosting the postseason at DKS:

“If we wanna be playing baseball at home then yeah, it's go time.”

What’s Next?

Clemson heads to Pittsburgh for its final ACC series of the regular season, a Thursday-to-Saturday matchup that will decide seeding for the conference tournament. The Tigers will then head to Durham for the ACC Tournament, where they’ll look to hopefully regain momentum and possibly solidify their regional hosting hopes.

There’s no more time for learning lessons. Clemson’s postseason fate is on what they show over the next two weeks.