Tigers walk it off to win series over No. 11 Wake Forest

Cam Cannarella delivered a big hit in the 8th. (File photo)

Brandon Rink - Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer - Sunday, March 23 2025

CLEMSON - After controlling the action of Friday’s win, Clemson trailed early and often over the remainder of the weekend with Wake Forest. The Tigers were searching for a sea change on an ACC matchup that hadn’t gone well as of late.

Trailing by a bunch early for a second consecutive game, No. 4 Clemson (23-3, 4-2 ACC) found that late in a 7-6 win to take the series in walk-off fashion over No. 11 Wake Forest (19-6, 7-2).

After a largely frustrating afternoon for Clemson at the plate and trailing by three, Josh Paino and Andrew Ciufo worked full counts and walks to lead off the eighth inning. With two out, Cam Cannarella’s RBI single through the right side scored one of them and an error on an unnecessary throw home scored another to bring Clemson within a run.

Facing Wake reliever Josh Gunther (1-2), who notched the save Saturday, Luke Gaffney then powered a game-tying RBI single to left field.

Wake Forest found some magic with two out in the ninth with back-to-back singles, and an ill-advised Cannarella throw to third base on the play advanced two Demon Deacons into scoring position. Working his third inning of relief, stalwart closer Lucas Mahlstedt (1-0) got a flyout to left field from pinch-hitter Cam Nelson to keep things tied.

Bringing the heroics without a hit in the ninth, Tryston McCladdie led off with a walk and stole second on the first delivery to Paino. He moved to third base on a Paino grounder, and then a Gunther wild pitch easily scored McCladdie to bring across the winning run.

👀 it happen!!@TrystonMcCladd2 draws a leadoff walk, steals second, moves to third on @PainoJosh's groundout, then scores on a wild pitch to give the Tigers a walk-off win! https://t.co/hI34wdmr19 pic.twitter.com/9XBZvIH8PH
— Clemson Baseball (@ClemsonBaseball) March 23, 2025

Clemson snapped a six-game series winless streak to Wake Forest on Friday and grabbed a first series win over the Deacs since 2022.

Clemson has had six winning weekends to start the season and 25 winning weekends in the last 27 for the regular season going back to the 2023 Wake Forest sweep of Clemson at DKS.

More early-inning issues plagued the Tigers.

Sophomore left-hander Justin LeGuernic returned to the mound for his sixth start of the season, but he didn’t get out of the first inning.

LeGuernic walked the first batter he faced and a tough grounder Paino’s way at third put two Demon Deacons on with no out. Kade Lewis continued a big weekend with a sacrifice fly RBI, but after LeGuernic recorded a second out, Wake’s Ryan Presiano powered a home run to center field to end the Clemson starter’s day.

Right-handed reliever Drew Titsworth got Clemson out of the first inning, but he didn’t have it in the next frame.

Wake Forest loaded the bases with no out and tacked three more on with an RBI single, sacrifice fly and another RBI single to distribute the earned runs evenly between the first two Tiger pitchers.

Dominic Listi got one back for the Tigers in the bottom of the second inning with a two-out RBI double, but Deacs right-hander sophomore Blake Morningstar largely kept Clemson at bay. He retired eight Tigers in a row at one point.

Morningstar limited Clemson to two hits and the lone earned run with four strikeouts to four walks over five innings.

After Clemson was 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position going into the sixth inning, Listi came up clutch again with a two-out, two-run single through the right side to make it a three-run game. Wake lefty Haiden Leffew worked back from a 3-0 count to get a flyout to right field from Jarren Purify to end the threat.

With two Deacs aboard and no out in the seventh, Clemson turned to Mahlstedt, who induced three groundouts to keep the margin intact.

Clemson looked to threaten again in the seventh but dropped to 3-of-17 hitting with runners on and left two aboard.

Listi finished with a 3-hit day. Cannarella finished with two hits in his last two at-bats after going hitless for the series prior.

Despite seven walks, Clemson's final five relief pitchers of B.J. Bailey, former Wake Forest pitcher Hudson Lee, Nathan Dvorsky, TP Wentworth and Mahlstedt didn't have an earned run charged for 7 2/3 innings.

The Tigers return to action hosting Coastal Carolina on Tuesday (6 p.m.).

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DOM DELIVERS AGAIN‼️@dominiclisti rips one through the right side to score two more for the Tigers!

B6 || WFU 6, CU 3

📺 https://t.co/t2d6CT8wd2 pic.twitter.com/bxTQbYFfy3
— Clemson Baseball (@ClemsonBaseball) March 23, 2025

CAM DELIVERS‼️@CamCannarella rips a single to score @PainoJosh, and heads-up base running from @AndrewCiufo makes it a one-run game!

B8 || WFU 6, CU 5

📺 https://t.co/t2d6CT8wd2 pic.twitter.com/bhejIs6O2J
— Clemson Baseball (@ClemsonBaseball) March 23, 2025

LUKE! TIE BALLGAME!@TheLukeGaffney splits the gap to score @CamCannarella and knot it at 6!

B8 || WFU 6, CU 6

📺 https://t.co/t2d6CT8wd2 pic.twitter.com/dgup4aet7m
— Clemson Baseball (@ClemsonBaseball) March 23, 2025