For the first time since conference play began, Clemson won an ACC series over the weekend.

Having started 2-7 in league play, the Tigers were facing a must-win situation when they headed out west for a three-game set with Stanford. While Erik Bakich’s team didn’t come away with a sweep, Clemson did take two out of three.

“Much-needed series win for the Tigers,” the head coach said.

One day after the bullpen gave up a three-run lead in the bottom of the eighth inning, multiple Clemson relievers shut the door on a Stanford offense that has proven capable of scoring runs in bunches.

With the Tigers trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the third, the Cardinal loaded the bases with nobody out and were threatening to blow the game open. Bakich turned to redshirt freshman Brendon Bennett to relieve starter Drew Titsworth and the lefty got out of the jam, only allowing a sacrifice fly. It was a big moment in the game.

Clemson managed to tie it up in the top of the fourth, but Stanford retook the lead in the bottom half of the inning on a bloop hit. After Bennett issued a walk putting runners at first and second with two outs, Bakich turned to another one of his young hurlers, freshman Dylan Harrison, who struck out the first hitter he saw, stranding both runners, and again limiting the damage.

Harrison allowed just one hit across 2.1 scoreless innings of work, and freshman Danny Nelson struck out five over the final two innings, allowing the Clemson offense to explode for five runs in the sixth and three more in the eighth, to pull away for a 12-5 series-clinching victory.

“The relief pitching coming in — Brendon Bennett, one of the unsung heroes of the day. Comes in bases loaded, no outs and minimizes, only surrendering a sac fly,” Bakich said. “Between Bennett, Harrison and Danny Nelson, they scored on a single that they were stealing on the pitch. Just happened to bloop it in, but the relief pitching did a really, really good job of holding down a very good offense. That is a very good offense over there.”

However, the biggest thing was the offense. After managing just two hits over the first three innings, the team pounded out 16 over the final six, totaling a season high 18. Every player in the starting lineup had at least one hit.

Jack Crighton and Nate Savoie had three-hit days, with Crighton hitting his first homer of the season. Bryce Clavon, Jackson Moore, Jason Fultz and Jacob Jarrell all had two-hit days, with Clavon also going deep.

Even bigger was going 7-of-23 with runners in scoring position. That is an area the Tigers have struggled with in recent weeks. Not to mention the leadoff runner reaching six times.

“Our offense was really the storyline of the game,” Bakich said. “We had three zeros to start the game and then just started to get it going. We had crooked numbers. We had 18 hits. Every starter had a hit and some guys with multiple hit days. Good to see the offense come alive.”

Clemson is back at it Monday, with the Tigers having one more game at Santa Clara before returning home for another crucial ACC series against No. 6 North Carolina. Bakich is hoping his team can build off the weekend momentum against a Santa Clara team that was swept ar San Diego over the weekend.

“We will need it again (Monday) to finish up this California trip,” said Bakich. “But it feels like the Tigers are playing better, and that is exactly what we needed to do. Big step in the right direction.”