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STANFORD, CALIF. - Aidan Knaak pitched 5.0 effective innings and Hayden Simmerson retired 12 of the 13 batters he faced to lead Clemson to a 9-3 victory over Stanford at Sunken Diamond on Friday night. The Tigers, who took a 1-0 lead in the series, improved to 20-11 overall and 3-7 in the ACC. The Cardinal dropped to 13-14 overall and 3-7 in ACC play. It was Clemson’s first-ever game at Stanford.
Knaak (1-3) earned the win by allowing five hits, three runs (two earned) and one walk with seven strikeouts. Simmerson pitched 4.0 scoreless innings to record his second save of the year. Nick Dugan (1-3) suffered the loss.
Ty Dalley grounded a two-out single in the second inning to score the game’s first run, then Stanford tied the score in the third inning on a two-out error. In the fourth inning, Dalley grounded another run-scoring single and Tryston McCladdie added an RBI groundout.
Clemson added three runs to its lead in the top of the sixth inning when Bryce Clavon grounded a run-scoring single and McCladdie slapped a two-run single. Cort MacDonald belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning to narrow Clemson’s lead to 6-3.
In the eighth inning, the Tigers added three runs on Jacob Jarrell’s bases-loaded walk and Luke Gaffney’s two-out, two-run single.
The series continues Saturday at 5:05 p.m. EDT on ACC Network Extra.