In a tightly contested opening game of the 2026 ACC Baseball Championship, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish edged out the Clemson Tigers by a 5‑4 margin in Charlotte, North Carolina.
A Narrow Victory in Charlotte
Jayce Lee paced the Irish offense, delivering three extra‑base hits and driving in two runs, while Drew Berkland and Bino Watters each added solo home runs to bolster the lineup.
On the mound, Jack Radel turned in a strong outing, limiting Clemson to two runs on four hits over 6.1 innings while striking out eight batters, earning the win for Notre Dame.
Clemson’s offense was not silent; Tyler Lichtenberger, Bryce Clavon and Jacob Jarrell each launched home runs, and Tryston McCladdie contributed an RBI triple that kept the Tigers within striking distance.
Relief work saw Noah Rooney close out the game with two scoreless innings to secure the save, while Clemson’s starter Michael Sharman absorbed the loss after surrendering three runs on six hits in four frames.
The victory propels the Fighting Irish into a second‑round matchup against Virginia Tech, a prospect that promises another high‑stakes clash in the tournament.