WINSTON-SALEM, N.C, — The Clemson Insider takes a look back at No. 20 Clemson’s 6-4 loss to Wake Forest in the series opener for both teams on Friday at David F. Couch Ballpark.

What happened?

The Demon Deacons took an early lead with three runs in the first, including two courtesy of a Will Craig homer. Wake Forest added another run to their lead on a solo homer from Gavin Sheets in the second and Craig followed with another two-run shot in the third to stake the Deacons to a 6-0 lead. The Tigers would chip into the lead in the fourth inning as Eli White lead off the inning by reaching on a third strike wild pitch and Seth Beer followed with his fourth homer of the season down the left field line. Clemson would pick up another run in the sixth as Weston Wilson hit a two-out double off the wall and Robert Jolly followed with a RBI single up the middle. The final run for the Tigers would come in the seventh as Chase Pinder launched a solo homer to cut the deficit to 6-4, but Clemson could get no closer as Wake Forest won the first game of the weekend series.

Game-Changing Moment:

The game changed in the early innings as the Deacons used three long balls to take a commanding early lead and left the Tigers scrambling to fight back the rest of the game.

What went right?

Clemson battled the entire night and actually outhit Wake Forest 9-7, led by two hits each from Reed Rohlman, Jolly, and Andrew Cox. Pinder and Beer continued to show off their power with homers. Brooks Crawford did a nice job in relief, allowing a single hit in 1.2 innings. Defensively, the Tigers did not commit an error.

What went wrong?

Charlie Barnes struggled early, allowing six runs through 3.0 innings, but then retired 13 straight batters while setting a career-high with nine strikeouts in 6.1 innings. Offensively, Clemson struggled to pick up the clutch hit late in the game as they stranded seven runners (to four for Wake Forest), including four in scoring position, while also hitting into two double plays early in the contest.