Clemson baseball drops Game 1 of series against Virginia Cavaliers

Clemson baseball had things under control early, but one bad stretch changed everything in Thursday’s 6-4 loss at No. 9 Virginia. Aidan Knaak racked up 10 strikeouts and cruised through the first half of the game.

He didn’t allow a walk over the first five innings and kept the Cavaliers from doing much damage. That changed quickly in the sixth. A mix of free passes and a hit batter loaded the bases, and Virginia cleared them with a double to jump in front for good.

Knaak was charged with six runs in just over five innings of work, taking the loss. Clemson’s bullpen helped stabilize things after that, with Dylan Harrison delivering a couple of clean innings to keep it close. At the plate, Clemson never really found a rhythm.

Luke Gaffney gave the Tigers an early boost with a two-run homer, and Jacob Jarrell added another long ball later on, but there wasn’t much else. The Tigers put together a small push late, including a run in the eighth and a chance in the ninth, but couldn’t come up with the big hit. Where to watch Clemson baseball vs Virginia today: Time, TV info 📸 Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co, Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images https://t.