Clemson baseball's ACC struggles continued Saturday in a heartbreaker, as the Tigers fell just short in a 5-4 rubber match against the No. 9 Virginia Cavaliers. The loss hands Clemson the series and deepens their conference challenges.

The Tigers struck first in a textbook display of small ball. Leadoff man Tryston McCladdie was hit by a pitch, stole second, advanced to third, and was driven home by Jacob Jarrell's RBI single—extending Jarrell's hitting streak to an impressive 10 games.

Virginia answered back in dramatic, unconventional fashion. Harrison Didawick sent a deep drive to center that caromed off the wall, allowing him to race around the bases for a game-tying inside-the-park home run.

The Cavaliers then seized momentum, building a 4-1 lead through the middle innings behind solo homers from Joe Tiroly and Sam Harris, plus an RBI single from Kyle Johnson.

Refusing to fold, Clemson began clawing back. Pinch-hitter Dylan Harrison, in his first at-bat of the season, sparked a rally in the seventh with a single and later scored. But Virginia's Didawick crushed his second homer of the day in the bottom of the frame to seemingly restore control.

Undeterred, the Tigers staged a thrilling late push. Luke Gaffney and Bryce Clavon launched back-to-back solo shots in the eighth inning, bringing Clemson within a single run and electrifying their dugout.

The comeback bid fell just short, however. After a leadoff single in the ninth, Virginia's bullpen slammed the door, stranding the tying run and securing the series victory.

Now 25-16 overall and 6-12 in the ACC, Clemson looks to regroup quickly. They return home Tuesday night to face USC Upstate, seeking to build positive momentum after another narrow conference defeat.