CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The baseball was flying out of Truist Field on Tuesday evening, as No. 10 seed Notre Dame defeated No. 15 seed Clemson, 5-4, in a game that saw each team hit three home runs in the first round of the 2026 ACC Baseball Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina.
 
Notre Dame will play No. 7 seed Virginia Tech in the second round on Wednesday, May 20, at 5 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
 
The Fighting Irish’s Jayce Lee (3-3, HR, 2 2B, 2 RBIs, run) led the way with three extra-base hits and two RBIs, while the top of the lineup in Drew Berkland (1-for-4, HR, RBI, run) and Bino Watters (1-for-4, HR, RBI, run) each had a solo home run in the win.
 
The Tigers offensively were led by home runs from Tyler Lichtenberger (2-for-4, HR, RBI, run), Bryce Clavon (1-for-4, HR, RBI, run) and Jacob Jarrell (1-for-4, HR, RBI, run), while Tryston McCladdie (1-for-4, 3B, RBI) added an RBI triple in the loss.
 
Notre Dame starter Jack Radel (8-3) picked up the win, holding the Tigers to just two runs on four hits, one walk and eight strikeouts over 6.1 innings. Noah Rooney (6) picked up the 2.0 inning save.
 
Clemson starting pitcher Michael Sharman (6-2) was handed the loss, giving up three runs on six hits and eight strikeouts over 4.0 innings of work.
 
Notre Dame jumped out to an early 1-0 lead with a lead-off home run from Berkland in the bottom of the first inning.
 
Clemson got in on the long-ball action in the top of the third inning on a solo home run off the bat of Lichtenberger to tie the game and then took the lead four batters later on a McCladdie RBI triple to right center field.
 
The Fighting Irish answered in the bottom half of the inning with another home run, this one from Watters, and then a Lee RBI double to pull back out in front by one at 3-2 after three innings of play.
 
Neither team would score until the bottom of the sixth inning, as ND tacked on another home run, its third of the game, this time from Lee to extend the Fighting Irish’s lead to two at 4-2 heading into the top of the seventh inning.
 
It was the Tigers’ turn in the top of the seventh, as Clavon blasted a solo shot deep to center field to put Clemson within one at 4-3 heading into the seventh inning stretch.
 
Notre Dame added an important insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on a single, wild pitch, groundout and sacrifice fly to take a 5-3 lead into the ninth.
 
In the ninth, Clemson threatened, cutting the Notre Dame lead to one on a Jarrell home run and then put the tying run on first before a strikeout by ND’s Rooney sealed the 5-4 win.