Clemson baseball had things under control early, but one bad stretch changed everything in Thursday’s 6-4 loss at No. 9 Virginia.Aidan Knaak racked up 10 strikeouts and cruised through the first half of the game. He didn’t allow a walk over the first five innings and kept the Cavaliers from doing much damage. That changed quickly in the sixth.

A mix of free passes and a hit batter loaded the bases, and Virginia cleared them with a double to jump in front for good.Knaak was charged with six runs in just over five innings of work, taking the loss. Clemson’s bullpen helped stabilize things after that, with Dylan Harrison delivering a couple of clean innings to keep it close.At the plate, Clemson never really found a rhythm. Luke Gaffney gave the Tigers an early boost with a two-run homer, and Jacob Jarrell added another long ball later on, but there wasn’t much else.

The Tigers put together a small push late, including a run in the eighth and a chance in the ninth, but couldn’t come up with the big hit.Where to watch Clemson baseball vs Virginia today: Time, TV info📸 Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co, Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images https://t.co/ipHjm1vllHpic.twitter.com/jJSm6SHWO2— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) April 17, 2026Clemson is now 24-15 overall and 5-11 in ACC play. It’s also the first time this season the Tigers have dropped a game after scoring first.Game 2 is set for Friday in Charlottesville.Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson baseball loses Game 1 of series against Virginia Cavaliers