CLEMSON, S.C. - Nate Savoie, Jack Crighton and Jackson Moore all hit a home run in Clemson’s 9-5 victory over No. 5 North Carolina at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Friday night. The Tigers, who took a 1-0 lead in the series, improved to 23-12 overall and 5-8 in the ACC. The Tar Heels dropped to 28-6-1 overall and 11-5 in ACC play.
Savoie and Crighton had three hits apiece to lead Clemson’s 13-hit attack. Moore, who entered the game with one career RBI, had two hits and a game-high four RBIs, while Jacob Jarrell was 2-for-3 with a double and two walks.
The Tar Heels plated the game’s first run in the top of the third inning on a double play, then Clemson scored a two-out run in the bottom of the third inning on Crighton’s double and an error on the play.
Savoie crushed a solo homer, his 11th of the year, in the fifth inning to give Clemson its first lead. Later in the inning, Tyler Lichtenberger grounded a run-scoring single, then Moore grounded a two-out, two-run single. The Tar Heels scored a run in the top of the sixth inning, but the Tigers stranded three runners on base to maintain a 5-2 lead.
Crighton belted a two-run homer, his second of the year, in the bottom of the sixth inning, then Moore hit a two-run homer, the first of his career, in the seventh inning. Jake Schaffner hit a solo homer in the eighth inning for the Tar Heels. Colin Hynek added a two-run homer in the ninth inning.
Clemson starter Aidan Knaak (2-3) earned the win, as he allowed seven hits, two runs and two walks with nine strikeouts, the most by a Tiger in 2026, in 6.0 innings pitched. Hayden Simmerson tossed 3.0 innings to record his third save of the year. The two righthanders combined for 16 strikeouts. Tar Heel starter Jason DeCaro (5-2) suffered the loss, as he surrendered seven hits, four runs (three earned) and four walks with three strikeouts in 4.1 innings pitched.
