Clemson Crushes Stanford in Series Opener

In a thrilling matchup at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, the No. 3 ranked Clemson Tigers showcased their strength with an impressive 11-1 win over the Stanford Cardinal on Friday night. This victory marks the Tigers' seventh consecutive win, pushing their record to an outstanding 32-5 overall and 10-3 in the ACC.

The Tigers wasted no time asserting their dominance, scoring runs in five out of the six innings they batted. They kicked off the game with two runs in the first, highlighted by Collin Priest’s run-scoring single. They continued to build their lead with another run in the second inning from a groundout by Dominic Listi.

In a power display during the third inning, Jacob Jarrell launched a two-run homer—his eighth of the season—propelling Clemson to a commanding 5-0 lead. Although Stanford managed to get on the board in the fourth with a solo homer from Tatum Marsh, it wasn’t enough to shift the momentum.

The Tigers quickly responded, capitalizing on a wild pitch to score again in the fourth. They closed out the game in impressive style, scoring five more runs in the sixth. Highlights included a run-scoring double from Cam Cannarella and another from Jarren Purify, along with a hit-by-pitch that forced a run in.

On the mound, Aidan Knaak delivered a stellar performance, earning his sixth win of the season with 6.0 innings pitched, allowing just two hits, one run, and striking out six batters. In contrast, Cardinal pitcher Joey Volchko struggled, giving up six hits and seven runs (six earned) in five innings.

With this victory, Clemson takes a 1-0 lead in the series, and fans are eager for more action as the two teams prepare for their next showdown on Saturday at 6 p.m., live on ACC Network.