The Clemson baseball team lost its third straight game Thursday night, and its fourth in the last five, as it is in jeopardy of having its worst conference season in the history of its storied program.
The Tigers fell, 5-1, to Virginia Tech Thursday in Game 1 of their three-game series at English Field in Blacksburg, Va. The loss drops Clemson to 9-19 in ACC play, one loss from tying the school record for conference defeats in a season.
The 2021 Tigers hold the record for most conference losses in a season with 20. They finished 16-20 in ACC play that season.
Clemson’s nine wins in conference play would be the program’s fewest in the modern era of ACC play, dating back to 1987 when the conference started playing 20-plus league games. The last time Clemson won fewer than 10 games in a conference season was nine in 1986, when the those Tigers were 9-4 in ACC play.
The Tigers’ current .321 win percentage in ACC play, is ranked as third lowest conference win percentage in the program’s history.
Clemson (30-24) managed just six hits against the Hokies and scored its lone run in the top of the seventh on a Tyler Lichtenberger single through the right side to score Jack Crighton from second base with two outs. Nate Savoie led the Tigers at the plate, again, as he went 2-for-4 in the leadoff spot.
Clemson starter Dane Moehler (0-3) suffered the loss on the mound. He allowed one run on four hits in two innings of work.
Brett Renfrow pitched 7 1/3 strong innings to lead Virginia Tech. Renfrow (5-4) earned the win by allowing six hits, one run and one walk with five strikeouts.
The Hokies (28-22, 14-14 ACC) took a 1-0 lead in the series and also snapped Clemson’s six-game winning streak at English Field.
Henry Cooke ripped a run-scoring single in the first inning for the Hokies, their third of four hits in the frame. In the sixth inning, Virginia Tech’s Pete Daniel laced a run-scoring triple, while pinch-hitter Hudson Lutterman followed with a run-scoring double.
Owen Petrich belted a two-run homer to cap the four-run inning for the Hokies in the sixth.
UP NEXT
The series continues on Friday at 3 p.m., with Game 2.