NC State blistered Clemson pitching to the tune of 19 hits and scored in every inning but one as the No. 25 Wolfpack run-ruled off the No. 2 Tigers 14-4 in eight innings on Thursday at Doak Field in Raleigh.

Two NC State pitchers combined to strike out 12 Tigers on the night, including reliever Anderson Nance, who struck out seven in five scoreless innings of work. Nance allowed just four base hits in picking up the win (7-1).

Wolfpack rightfielder Brayden Fraasman was responsible for more runs by himself than the Tigers scored all game. He finished the night 5-for-5 at the plate with two home runs, while driving in seven runs and scoring two.

Clemson (36-8, 13-6 ACC) starter Aidan Knaak got knocked around, suffering his first loss (6-1) of the season. The Tigers’ ace allowed eight runs on 11 hits, both career-highs, in just four innings of work.

After Dominic Listi walked to lead off the game, Cam Cannarella just missed an opposite field homer, as the NC State left fielder caught it at the very top of the wall. Jarren Purify then flew out to center before Collin Priest hit his ninth home run of the season, giving the Tigers the early 2-0 lead. The opposite field shot just cleared the wall, going off the left fielder’s glove.

NC State (28-12, 13-6) would respond by tagging Knaak for three runs in the bottom half of the inning. The Wolfpack got three consecutive hits with one out, including an RBI double from Justin DeCriscio. Fraasman would also drive in two with a two-out single back up the middle to put the Pack up 3-2.

The Wolfpack would tack on another run in the second, getting a sacrifice fly out to right from Ty Head. The runner would barely beat Jack Crighton’s throw home, and NC State would take a 4-2 lead.

NC State would keep the pressure on in the bottom of the third, with Knaak allowing four consecutive hits to start the frame, including an RBI single by DeCriscio. Luke Nixon would execute a safety squeeze, scoring another run. Purify was late covering the bag at first, and everyone was safe. Head then drove in his second run of the game with a sac fly to deep right, putting the Pack up 7-2.

NC State would add to the lead in the fourth, getting a two-out run-scoring double from Fraasman, as he drove in his fourth run of the night.

The Tigers would cut into the deficit in the top of the fifth. Ciufo led the frame off with a solo shot out to left. Later in the inning, Jacob Jarrell would add a two-out RBI single, making it 8-4.

Noah Samol came on in relief of Knaak to start the bottom of the fifth, issuing two walks and hitting a batter while recording just two outs. One of those free passes would end up coming around to score on a wild pitch, putting the Pack out in front 9-4. Nathan Dvorsky would come on to get the final out on a diving catch by Dominic Listi.

Clemson had a chance to cut into the lead again in the sixth, putting runners on the corners with two outs, but a strikeout by Cannarella would strand both.

Fraasman would collect his fifth RBI of the game with a solo homer in the bottom half of the inning, his ninth long ball of the season, extending the Wolfpack’s lead to 10-4.

Fraasman would add his second homer of the game and 10th of the season, a two-run shot off Justin LeGuernic in the bottom of the eighth. A wild pitch from Leguernic later in the inning would make it 13-4 and then a run-scoring single with two outs would end it. LeGuernic allowed four runs on six hits, with two wild pitches.

Knaak Struggles

The Clemson ace has never been hit like he was in this one. Knaak allowed a career high eight runs on 11 hits, another career-high, in just four innings of work. It was an uncharacteristic performance from the right-handed hurler, as it was only the second time all season he’d allowed more than four earned runs. Coming into the game, his WHIP was 0.98, and opponents were hitting just .195 against him. It’s the first time Clemson has lost a game started by Knaak this season. He only struck out two hitters, and his strike rate was unofficially 64%.

Lack of Timely Hits

In what has become a recurring theme, the Tigers struggled to come up with the clutch hits. Clemson hitters struck out 12 times on the night, were just 3-of-16 with runners on base and only 1-of-8 with runners in scoring position. The Tigers stranded eight base runners, with Cannarella, Gaffney and Crighton each stranded multiple guys.

NC State had no problem coming up with those hits, going 7-of-16 with runners in scoring position.

Gillen Debuts

Transfer Michael Gillen made his Clemson debut, pitching a scoreless seventh. He struck out the first hitter he saw, before allowing a fluky ground ball double that went off the glove of Purify at second. After hitting a batter, Gillen retired the next two hitters to get out of the jam. He threw 14 pitches, and 11 were strikes.

Up Next

The same two teams do battle once again on Friday in Raleigh. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.