DURHAM, N.C. — Jacob Jarrell drove in three runs and Lucas Mahlstedt set a new career mark in innings pitched as No. 5 seed Clemson fended off No. 4 seed NC State 7-6 in a back-and-forth affair in the quarterfinals of the ACC Championship on Thursday at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, N.C. It was the Tigers’ fifth straight win.

Mahlstedt pitched the final 4.0 innings, holding the Wolfpack to just one run on four hits in picking up the win (3-0). He struck out four and walked one in what was one of his biggest outings of the season.

Drew Titsworth gave Clemson (43-15) another quality start, going five innings while allowing three runs on five hits. When he left the game after the fifth, the Tigers were up by a run.

BJ Bailey would relieve Titsworth to start the sixth, only facing three hitters, with all three scoring. Malhstedt then came out of the pen with runners on the corners and nobody out. The veteran allowed one RBI single before getting a double play ball and a strikeout to escape the jam.

Jarrell led the way at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, including a solo home run. Andrew Ciufo was 2-for-4, with two runs driven in. Cam Cannarella also stayed hot, going 4-for-5, while Jack Crighton was 2-for-3 with a run scored.

Clemson went on top early, pushing a run across in the top of the second. Dominic Listi got it started with a one-out single, then advanced to second on a wild pitch, before stealing third. It was his 10th stolen base of the season. He would come home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jarrell, making it 1-0.

The Wolfpack (33-19) finally got to Titsworth in the bottom of the fourth. After back-to-back singles to start the inning put runners on the corners, Justin DeCriscio lined a single to center that dropped just in front of Cannarella. That plated one run. After a 4-6-3 double play, one of four the Tigers turned in this one, put a runner at third, Titsworth uncorked a wild pitch that gave NC State a 2-1 lead.

The Tigers responded in the top of the fifth. After Crighton led off the frame with a triple into the gap in left-center, Ciufo executed a perfect squeeze. Crighton scored the tying run, and Ciufo was safe at first. After Cannarella hit his third single of the game, Ciufo stole third, putting runners on the corners. Jarren Purify laid down another successful squeeze, and once again, everybody was safe, putting Clemson back on top 3-2.

The Wolfpack tied it right back up in the bottom half of the inning. After Titsworth issued a leadoff walk to Matt Ossenfort, Ty Head singled into right. Ossenfort tried to go from first to third, but T.P. Wentworth gunned him down for the first out of the inning. Head took second on the throw. Matt Heavner then grounded out to third, with Josh Paino throwing him out at first. Head would never stop running and scored after Crighton’s throw from first was off the mark, tying it up at 3-3.

With two outs in the sixth, Jacob Jarrell launched a massive solo home run out to center, putting Clemson back up by a run at 4-3. The 407-foot shot was his team-leading 14th of the season.

BJ Bailey came on to relieve Titsworth in the bottom of the sixth, and the Wolfpack started the frame with three straight hits, tying things right back up and quickly ending the veteran lefty’s day. Mahstedt then came in and promptly allowed a single, putting the Pack back on top 5-4.

The Tigers took the lead right back in the eighth, getting three consecutive singles with one out. After Josh Paino singled to start the inning, Listi struck out. Jarrell then drove in his third run of the game by singling into left, with Paino scoring from first. Crighton then singled, putting runners at first and second, with Wentworth following that up by driving in a run with a single. Ciufo then added an RBI single of his own, making it 7-5 Tigers.

NC State got a run back in the bottom of the eighth. With one out, Brayden Fraasman singled in a run, making it 7-6.

Offense Was Cooking

Clemson hitters finished with 15 hits on the night and were 5-of-11 with runners in scoring position. The Tigers were also 8-for-21 with runners on base. Cannarella, Crighton, Jarrell and Ciufo all had multi-hit games.

Figuring Out Anderson Nance

The last time Clemson saw the NC State reliever was in the series opener last month in Raleigh. Nance came into the game to start the fifth inning and shut the Tigers out over the final four innings of a 14-4 run-rule win. Nance struck out seven of the 16 hitters he faced that night.

Things were different on Thursday, with Clemson roughing up one of the Wolfpack’s most effective relievers. The Tigers knocked Nance around to the tune of four runs on seven hits. Nance did strike out five, but for at least one night, this Clemson team figured him out, handing him just his second loss of the season.

Cannarella On Fire

The junior centerfielder had another very productive night, totaling four singles. It was the fourth time this season Cannarella has recorded four or more hits in a game.

Up Next

With the win, Clemson moves on to the semifinals to face off with No. 1 seed Georgia Tech on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Tigers get Friday off.