Army Had No. 19 Clemson on the Ropes — Then One Mistake Flipped Opening Day

Clemson, S.C. — It was in their hands. Then one pitch and one error flipped the night.

Army West Point walked into Doug Kingsmore Stadium and played the kind of game that travels: clean pitching, timely hitting, and just enough offense to put pressure on a ranked opponent.

For six and a half innings, it worked.

Then the bottom of the seventh happened.

Army carried a 2–0 lead into Clemson’s final three at-bats, but a two-run homer tied it, and a catcher’s throwing error in the eighth helped set up the deciding run in a 3–2 loss that will sting.

The Black Knights open the season 0–1, while No. 19 Clemson improves to 1–0.

Heroes Weekend: baseball, veterans, and the moment that mattered

Friday was the first day of Heroes Weekend at Clemson, and the night carried a little more meaning than a normal opener.

During an inning break, players from both teams were able to greet veterans in attendance — an inspiring, on-field display of spirit and patriotism that fit the setting and the weekend.

How Army scored: early pressure, late power

Army’s first run came in the second, after traffic on the bases turned into a mistake that Clemson couldn’t clean up.

With runners aboard, Chris Barr delivered an RBI single to put Army up 1–0.

The second run didn’t arrive until the seventh, but it landed with authority.

With two outs, Jack Quinlan homered down the left-field line to make it 2–0 — a swing that had Army three outs away from a statement road win.

The moment it turned: Clemson answers immediately

Clemson didn’t wait.

In the bottom of the seventh, Jacob Jarrell crushed a two-run home run to left field, tying the game at 2–2 and wiping out what had been a controlled, low-stress night for Army.

The heartbreak: one error, one run, one result

The decisive sequence came in the eighth.

Clemson’s Tryston McCladdie reached and then stole second — and on the throw, a throwing error by Quinlan moved him to third.

That extra 90 feet mattered.

Moments later, Nate Savoie doubled to center field, driving in the go-ahead run and putting Clemson up 3–2.

Army had chances late, putting two aboard in the ninth, but Clemson closed the door.

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What Army did well (and why this one hurts)

Army didn’t get outplayed for nine innings. They got clipped late.

The Black Knights:

• collected 10 hits
• hit .375 with two outs
• struck out 12 times, but still created traffic
• got a strong start from Andrew Berg, who worked 6.1 innings

Berg held Clemson to two runs and kept the Tigers from stringing together big innings. Army was in position to steal a road win against a ranked team.

That’s why this one will sit with them.

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• Duffy, Reilly Named to 2026 Tewaaraton Watch List — Army WLAX Stars Carry the Standard Into Northwestern Test
• Byrne, Plunkett Named to 2026 Tewaaraton Watch List — Army’s Leaders Set the Tone Before Yale at Michie

By the numbers

• 3-for-4: Quinlan and Carter Hewitt each went 3-for-4, with Quinlan going for extra bases twice.
• 2-for-3: David Dubrule was 2-for-3.
• .375: Army hit .375 with two outs.
• 5,893: The crowd of 5,893 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium was the largest Army has played in front of since March 7, 2023 at Arkansas.

Black Knight notes

• Dubrule — a freshman — made his first career start.
• Quinlan and right fielder JT Craig made their first career opening day starts.
• Barr, Hewitt and center fielder Addison Ainsworth each made their third career opening day starts.
• Shortstop Thomas Schreck made his fourth career opening day start at Army.
• Jakob Vanderhave made his first pitching appearance since 2024, and his 1.2 innings pitched represented a career-high.

Final score

Army West Point 2 vs No. 19 Clemson 3 February 13, 2026 — Doug Kingsmore Stadium (Clemson, S.C.)

Next up

Army and Clemson will conclude the weekend series with a Saturday doubleheader.

First pitch of the twin bill from Doug Kingsmore Stadium is set for 12:00 p.m.

Bad Dawg Sports-

Army had the game in its hands. Clemson took it back in two swings and one mistake. Now the Black Knights have to answer tomorrow

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