No. 9 Virginia Edges Clemson 5-4 in Baseball

Cavaliers hit four home runs to defeat Tigers in ACC matchup

Apr. 18, 2026 at 7:57pm

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A cubist-style painting depicting a baseball game broken down into fragmented geometric shapes and planes, capturing the dynamic action and energy of the sport.Virginia's power hitting proved too much for Clemson in this tightly contested ACC baseball showdown.Charlottesville Today

In a close ACC baseball matchup, the No. 9 ranked Virginia Cavaliers defeated the Clemson Tigers 5-4 at Disharoon Park on Saturday. Virginia hit four home runs, including two from Harrison Didawick, to edge out the Tigers, who had taken an early 1-0 lead in the first inning.

Why it matters

This was an important conference game between two top ACC baseball programs. The win helps boost Virginia's conference record and NCAA tournament resume, while the loss is a setback for Clemson's postseason aspirations.

The details

Virginia jumped out to a 2-1 lead after home runs from Joe Tiroly and Sam Harris. Clemson tied it in the 6th inning, but Virginia regained the lead for good with home runs from Luke Gaffney and Bryce Clavon in the 8th. Cavaliers pitcher Lucas Hartman earned the win in relief, while Tyler Kapa recorded the save.

  • The game was played on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
  • Clemson scored the first run of the game in the top of the 1st inning.
  • Virginia hit home runs in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 7th, and 8th innings.

The players

Harrison Didawick

Virginia outfielder who hit two solo home runs in the game.

Jacob Jarrell

Clemson outfielder who drove in the Tigers' first run with a two-out single in the 1st inning.

Lucas Hartman

Virginia pitcher who earned the win in relief, pitching 3 innings.

Tyler Kapa

Virginia pitcher who recorded the save, pitching the final 1.2 innings.

Danny Nelson

Clemson pitcher who suffered the loss in relief.

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What they’re saying

“This was a hard-fought game between two talented ACC teams. We were able to get some timely home runs to edge out the win.”

— Brian O'Connor, Virginia Head Coach

“We had our chances, but just couldn't come up with the big hit when we needed it. Credit to Virginia for making the plays to win the game.”

— Monte Lee, Clemson Head Coach

What’s next

Clemson will look to bounce back when they host USC Upstate on Tuesday, April 21 at 7pm on ACC Network Extra.

The takeaway

This close loss is a setback for Clemson's postseason hopes, but the Tigers have shown they can compete with top ACC teams. Virginia's ability to hit timely home runs proved to be the difference in this hard-fought conference matchup.