The Clemson Insider looks back at Clemson’s 13-8 loss at No. 11 Georgia Tech on Saturday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium.

What happened?
The Tigers (26-18, 11-12 ACC) struck first in the second inning as Kyle Wilkie led off with a single, moved to second on a one-out single by Jordan Greene, and scored on a two-out RBI single by Justin Hawkins for a 1-0 lead. The Yellow Jackets (30-13, 15-8 ACC) answered immediately in the bottom of the frame with an opposite field solo homer to tie the game at 1-1. Clemson quickly regained the lead in the third as Logan Davidson drew a leadoff walk and Grayson Byrd followed with a two-run homer to make it 3-1 Tigers. Byrd stuck again in the fifth with a leadoff solo homer off the batter’s eye for a 4-1 lead, but Georgia Tech answered in the bottom of the inning with four runs on three hits to claim a 5-4 lead. Clemson responded in the sixth with two runs as Davis Sharpe and Bryce Teodosio got things going with singles before RBI singles from Sam Hall and Davidson made it 6-5. The Yellow Jackets again tied the game in the bottom of the sixth, but Clemson answered again in the seventh. Bryar Hawkins led off the inning with a HBP and came all the way around to score on a RBI double by Greene before a RBI groundout from Justin Hawkins made it 8-6 Tigers. Georgia Tech blew the game open in the bottom of the seventh as they scored seven runs on six hits for a 13-8 lead and would close it out to send Clemson to a ninth straight ACC loss.

Game-Changing Moment:
After a back-and-forth in the middle innings where the lead changed hands multiple times, the biggest moments in the game came in the bottom of the seventh. The Yellow Jackets hit three straight one-out singles before consecutive doubles gave them a 10-8 lead. A three-run homer put a cap on the inning and gave Georgia Tech all the insurance runs it would need in the series-clinching win.

What went right?
The Tiger offense had yet another strong day, scoring eight runs on 14 hits. Greene had a team-best three hits while Hall, Davidson, Byrd, and Wilkie each had two hits. All nine batters reached base at least once while seven players scored one or more runs and five players drove in runs. Defensively, Clemson did not commit an error in the contest.

What went wrong?
The Tiger pitching staff struggled throughout the game, but especially in the middle innings as the Yellow Jackets scored 12 runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. Starter Mat Clark ran out of gas in the fifth as he allowed four runs on five hits in a no-decision. Holt Jones did not record an out as the first option out of the bullpen, walking three and allowing a hit. Carson Spiers took the loss as he allowed seven runs on six hits in just two innings. Overall, the Clemson staff allowed seven walks and 14 hits in the loss.