Durham, NC – The No. 5 seed Clemson Tigers clawed their way to a heart-stopping 7-6 victory over the No. 4 seed NC State Wolfpack in the quarterfinals of the 2025 ACC Baseball Tournament on May 22 at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. It was a classic showdown that saw seven lead changes, a late-inning offensive explosion, and a nail-biting finish, with Clemson’s Lucas Mahlstedt emerging as the hero in a game.
Clemson struck first in the second inning when Dominic Listi slid home on a Jacob Jarrell sacrifice fly, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead. NC State’s Matt Heavner answered in the fourth, tying the game with an RBI single, setting the stage for a back-and-forth battle that kept fans on edge.
The Wolfpack, riding the momentum of their April sweep over Clemson in Raleigh, took a 3-1 lead in the fifth when freshman Ty Head scored from second on Heavner’s groundout. But Clemson responded with two perfectly executed squeeze bunts by Andrew Ciufo and Jarren Purify in the fifth, knotting the score at 3-3. Jarrell, Clemson’s home run leader, then launched a 407-foot solo shot to center in the sixth, reclaiming the lead at 4-3.
NC State, however, wasn’t done. The Wolfpack surged ahead 5-4 in the seventh, capitalizing on a shaky outing from Clemson reliever B.J. Bailey, who allowed a single, double, and RBI hit before being replaced by Mahlstedt. The All-ACC closer, second nationally with 24 saves, steadied the ship, but not before NC State took the lead.
The eighth inning proved to be Clemson’s defining moment. Trailing 5-4, the Tigers’ bats erupted for five hits, including run-scoring singles from Jarrell, TP Wentworth, and Ciufo, to seize a 7-5 lead. Cam Cannarella, who finished 4-for-5, set the tone atop the lineup, while Jack Crighton’s 3-for-5 night, including a triple, kept the pressure on.
NC State battled back in the eighth, cutting the deficit to 7-6, and in the ninth, Luke Nixon’s drive to the warning track had NC State and Clemson fans holding their breath. But Mahlstedt, pitching four heroic innings of relief, sealed the win with a final strikeout, sending the Tigers to the semifinals against No. 1 seed Georgia Tech on May 24.
For NC State, the loss marked a bitter end to their ACC Tournament run. Despite a valiant effort from starter Dominic Fritton, who struck out six over 82 pitches, the Wolfpack (33-18) couldn’t overcome Clemson’s 16-hit barrage. The Wolfpack now await their NCAA Tournament regional destination, set to be announced May 26.
Clemson (43-15), projected to host an NCAA regional, exacted revenge on their rivals, who had swept them in April, ending a 2-8 slide that had threatened their season.
Clemson will be facing Georgia Tech at 1 p.m. ET on May 24 at the Durham Bulls Ballpark.