Once again, the Clemson offense struggled to come up with the timely hits as Notre Dame knocked off the No. 19 Tigers 7-4 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep at Frank Eck Stadium in South Bend.

Clemson (18-7, 1-5 ACC) did have 13 hits in the game, but they were all singles, and once guys were on base, the offense just couldn’t come up with a key hit. The team finished just 5-of-24 with runners on base, 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 base runners.

Nate Savoie went 4-for-5 in the loss, while Luke Gaffney and Jack Crighton both went 2-for-5.

Drew Titsworth got the start and was tagged with the loss (3-1), allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits in four innings of work. He struck out five and did not issue a walk.

Notre Dame got on the board quickly. After Drew Berkland doubled up the middle to start the bottom of the first. He was moved to third and a ground ball to second, then came home on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Mark Quantrani, giving the Irish a 1-0 lead.

The Tigers were able to tie it up in the third. Savoie singled to start the frame. He advanced to second on a wild pitch, then to third on a balk. A sacrifice fly by McCladdie brought Savoie home, knotting the game at 1-1.

In the bottom half of the inning, Notre Dame got an RBI single from Noah Coy, and then a fielding error by Gaffney allowed a second run to come across, putting Clemson in a 3-1 hole.

The Irish added to the lead in the fifth. Talen Bell came on in relief and hit the very first batter he saw. After striking out the next hitter, Bell then hit another batter before issuing a five-pitch walk. Davis Johnson then singled back up the middle, driving in a run and ending Bell’s day. Joe Allen came in and immediately got a fly ball out, but another run came home on the sacrifice fly, making it 5-1.

The Tigers had a chance to get back in it in the sixth. After back-to-back singles by Jacob Jarrell and Gaffney put runners on first and second with nobody out, Ty Dalley struck out swinging on three straight pitches. Jay Dillard then reached on a fielding error, loading the bases. Jason Fultz would hit into an inning-ending double play to end the threat.

Noah Coy’s RBI single and a Bino Watters sac fly off of Brendon Bennett in the sixth pushed the lead out to 7-1.

Clemson loaded the bases again with one out in the top of the seventh. Jarrell’s sac fly cut the lead to 7-2.

The Tigers again loaded the bases in the ninth, this time with no outs. A fielder’s choice by Gaffney and a sac fly by Dalley made it 7-4.

Too Many Errors

Coming into Sunday, Clemson had committed 30 errors over the first 23 games. That is well over one per game. They committed two more in this one. Gaffney’s gaffe in the third was his sixth of the season, which led to an unearned run. Tyler Lichtenberger also committed his sixth of the season.

To Whom the Bell Tolls

Talan Bell continues to struggle in 2026. After coming in relief of Titsworth in the fourth, the lefty faced just five batters, with two of them scoring. He hit two, walked one and allowed a run-scoring single. His ERA has quickly ballooned to 8.76. He has issued five walks and hit four batters in just 12.1 innings pitched this season. He’s also given up four long balls.

Injury News

After taking a pitch off his hand late in Saturday’s game, Jarren Purify was out of the lineup on Sunday. Jack Crighton was inserted into the leadoff role, while Jay Dillard played second in his absence. Freshman Jason Fultz got the start at third.

Up Next

Clemson returns home to host Coastal Carolina on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be televised on the ACC Network.