Clemson dropped a heartbreaker 6-5 in eleven innings to Florida State on Friday night, as the Seminoles twice rallied from a deficit in the late innings to take the series opener.

“Tough loss,” head coach Erik Bakich said after the loss. “Especially in extras.”

Not only did fifth-ranked Florida State plate two runs in the bottom of the ninth to send it to extras, the Seminoles plated another in the tenth to extend the game after Dominic Lisit hit a towering solo home run in the top half of the inning to put the Tigers right back on top by a run.

And they did it against what has been college baseball’s most effective closer, Lucas Mahlstedt. The submariner came into the game leading the country with 15 saves and needed just one more to break the program record for saves in a season.

However, it wasn’t meant to be. Despite having already given up a run, Mahlstedt was one strike away from closing it down in the ninth, but Seminoles’ hitter Gage Harrelson connected on an 0-2 pitch with two outs to push across the tying run and send the game into extra innings. It was the first time Mahlstedt had blown a save all season.

After Listi’s blast to lead off the tenth put the Tigers right back on top, Bakich sent his closer right back out there. Max Williams then blasted a solo shot of his own on Mahlstedt’s second pitch of the inning to tie it right back up and end the veteran reliever’s night.

“Lucas Malhstedt has been our dude,” Bakich said. “He has saved our butt so many times this year already. Sometimes that happens. And closers, when it does happen, you just got to have amnesia and be ready to bounce back later in the weekend.”

Before Mahlstedt even took the mound, the Tigers had already squandered a couple of opportunities to put more runs on the board. In the top of the sixth, with FSU up 1-0, Josh Paino was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. He was then caught attempting to steal second, the first time he had been caught stealing all season.

Collin Priest then drew a walk, with Luke Gaffney adding a single before Listi was also hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Jacob Jarrell then hit a fly ball to center, with Gaffney tagging from second and Priest tagging from third. The throw came to third, with the Seminoles gunning down Gaffney before Priest touched home plate, preventing the run from scoring. It was the first of two huge plays that kept the Tigers from adding to their run total.

The next one came in the top of the seventh. After Cam Cannarella tied the game at 2-2 with a two-run single, Paino doubled. Cannarella came around to score on the play, giving the Tigers their first lead at 3-2. Paino was then picked off at second, right before Priest doubled into right-center, preventing Clemson from adding what turned out to be an ever-important insurance run.

“It is one of those where coaches, especially myself personally, will Monday morning quarterback this one up and down,” Bakich said. ” Should have left him in, should have taken him out. Should have bunted, should not have bunted. Should have stolen, should not have stolen. It is great when all the plays work but it sucks when we have some outs on the bases. Or don’t execute or whatever the situation is.”

Clemson hitters also once again struggled to come up with clutch hits. The Tigers stranded a runner at third in the first and then another at second the following inning. In total, Clemson stranded 12 runners. Bakich’s team also got the leadoff man on five times, but finished just 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position and is now eight for its last 68 in those situations.

With the loss, the Tigers have now dropped five of their past six games. At the same time, Bakich isn’t about to hit the panic button. He’s seen his team respond too many times when their backs are against the wall.

“At the end of the day, got no issues with how our guys came to play,” Bakich said. “Thought we handled this environment. It is the second-best environment in the ACC, and I thought we handled it really, really well. And I am excited to see them respond tomorrow because this group will fight. The outcome wasn’t in our favor, but it wasn’t for a lack of competing.”