CLEMSON – It may have been Senior Day at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, but freshman pitcher Danny Nelson and junior second baseman Jarren Purify stole the show as Clemson defeated No. 12 Florida State 4-3 to even the series.

Coming from a 3-0 deficit, Clemson scored four unanswered runs, featuring three RBI from Purify, across three frames to hand the Seminoles their first loss in the month of May.

Nelson gave the Tigers a career-high 4.0 innings of work, sitting down all 12 batters he faced while Clemson’s offense mounted its comeback. Nelson finished with three strikeouts and only needed 39 pitches to shut down the Seminoles.

Purify and first baseman Luke Gaffney each finished with two hits, combining for 10 in the last six games.

Though Clemson (30-21, 9-17 ACC) was hitless through three innings, giving up seven to the Seminoles in that time, the Tigers finished with six hits on the day, and finished with two crucial two-out shots. Clemson’s pitching staff struck out nine Florida State (35-15, 16-10 ACC) batters, and held them scoreless in the final six frames.

With the win, the Tigers have now won four of their last five games, all coming against ranked opponents. They will now have a chance to win a rubber match against the Seminoles Sunday, in hopes of winning their third ACC Series, their second in a row, and keeping NCAA postseason hopes alive.

Florida State did not hesitate to get things going in the top of the first. After a leadoff strikeout from starting pitcher Michael Sharman, centerfielder Brayden Dowd blasted his ninth home run of the season to give the Seminoles an early 1-0 lead. Right fielder Brody DeLamielleure followed it up with a double, and a single brought him home to extend the lead.

In the bottom of the second, after three consecutive strikeouts from Sharman, Clemson’s Tryston McCladdie threatened to cut the lead in half, making it all the way to third, but a groundout ended his chances.

The Seminoles extended their lead 3-0 with another solo blast in the third from DeLamielleure, marking the first time Sharman has allowed two home runs in an appearance at Clemson. Florida State’s first three hitters went 3-for-5 through the first trio of frames.

Florida State recorded eight early hits, while Clemson did not tally one until the fourth with a single through the middle by McCladdie. Second baseman Jarren Purify ended the Tigers’ drought one batter later, sending a two-run homer out of the park to cut the lead 3-2.

The two-out shot marked Purify’s fourth longball of the season, and second since his full return from injury last week.

Sharman’s outing came to a close after the fourth. The lefty’s appearance included eight hits, three earned runs, no walks, and six strikeouts in 4.0 innings of work. Freshman Danny Nelson, making his 17th appearance with the Tigers, replaced him in relief to start the fifth and got six consecutive outs in the fifth and sixth innings.

Feeding off of the momentum on the mound, first baseman Luke Gaffey and designated hitter Jacob Jarrell placed consecutive singles in the bottom of the sixth, and a fielder’s choice sent Gaffney to third.

Purify laced a single through the left side to score Gaffney, and even the score 3-3, marking the first tie since the second batter of the game. Clemson threatened again in the sixth, putting runners on second and third, but could not plate any more runs with two outs.

After two more innings of a stalemate, Gaffney got the offense going again with a single to right center. Florida State intentionally walked Purify, and unintentionally put Lichtenberger on to load the bases. A wild pitch sent Gaffney home to take the first lead of the series.

Righty Hayden Simmerson came in in relief in the ninth, striking out the side to secure the victory.

Senior Day

Clemson honored 11 upperclassmen on Senior Day Saturday, including five true seniors, four draft eligible juniors or redshirt juniors, and two graduate students. 

Up Next

The Tigers will have another shot to defeat the Seminoles Sunday, when Clemson and Florida State will face off for the final time in the three-game series. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Coverage will be shown on ESPN Plus.