Max Williams's extra inning heroics leads No. 8 FSU baseball past No. 5 Clemson

May 3, 2025 - 08:00

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Max Williams's extra inning heroics leads No. 8 FSU baseball past No. 5 Clemson

Max Williams only needed two swings in extra innings to dictate the outcome of No. 8 Florida State baseball's 6-5 comeback win over No. 5 Clemson.

With the Seminoles (32-9 [13-6]) down a run in the 10th inning, he hit a lead-off home run to tie the game, and his 11th-inning encore presentation was a walk-off single that scored Nathan Cmeyla to seal a dramatic victory for FSU.

It was a game that lived up to the hype of two conference rivals and top teams in the nation, with the Seminoles' comeback sparked by a ninth-inning rally and the M. Williams' solo home run in the tenth inning.

Pretty sure that one hit the circus tent!!🎪 pic.twitter.com/C3M36Bb5AF— FSU Baseball (@FSUBaseball) May 3, 2025

The win snaps a five-game losing streak to No. 4 Clemson (36-11 [13-9]), and FSU is in position for a first series win over the Tigers since 2021.

Down 4-2 in the ninth inning, the Seminoles rallied to force extra innings, led by a double from Chase Williams, which missed being a home run by a few feet.

A Jaxson West ground out advanced him to third base, and James Hankerson Jr., who was a pinch hitter for Hunter Carns, hit a two-out double down the third base line to score C. Williams.

BJ Gibson came in to pinch run for Hankerson, and he scored on a Gage Harrelson single that jumped off the glove of Clemson's Josh Paino at third base.

The Seminoles' momentum was quickly quelled as Clemson's Dominic Listi hit a solo home run in the top of the tenth inning to give the Tigers a 5-4 lead.

M. Williams reenergized the Howser crowd with his tenth-inning blast, his 16th home run of the season, which forced Clemson to pull its reliable closer Lucas Mahlstedt, who gave up a rare three earned runs, which set the stage for FSU to win the game in the 11th inning.

Jamie Arnold produced a gem in his 10th start of the year for FSU baseball, yet the two-run advantage he left the Seminoles with in the seventh inning wasn't enough to hold off Clemson for long.

Arnold tossed 106 pitches in six innings. He allowed three walks, struck out five and allowed one earned run on three hits, earning a standing ovation from the crowd when he exited the game.

FSU led the pitchers' duel between Arnold and Clemson's Aidan Knaak 2-0 off a fourth inning Drew Faurot sac fly and solo home run from Cal Fisher in the sixth, his seventh of the year. Prior to the Tigers' seventh inning explosion, they had the bases loaded with one out in the sixth inning.

Arnold forced a pop-up to M. Williams in center field, who fired to third base to double up the Clemson runner tagging from second base, with Cal Fisher applying the tag before the Tigers runner from third base crossed home plate, keeping FSU ahead 2-0.

What. A. Play!!

Double play to end the inning and prevent a run from scoring!

M-6, FSU 1, CU 0 pic.twitter.com/UcjepB3NNK— FSU Baseball (@FSUBaseball) May 2, 2025

The lone run charged to Arnold came in the seventh inning. After he issued a leadoff walk, he was replaced by Joe Charles. The senior allowed three runs, two earned, to score on two hits in the four batters he faced to allow Clemson to take a 3-2 lead.

Charles entered the game with a runner on first and faced four batters in the seventh inning, allowing a lead-off walk before a ground out that advanced the runners to second and third.

Clemson's Cam Cannarella chopped a single past the outstretched glove of Drew Faurot to score a pair and tie the game. Drew Paino hit a deep fly ball that bounced off the right field wall and away from a leaping Harrelson for a double, giving Cannarella enough time to score from first and give the Tigers a 3-2 lead.

John Abraham would replace Charles after the disastrous four-batter stretch, quickly getting the second out with a crafty pick-off play to second base that caught Paino. It proved to be a crucial out as the next batter hit a double that would have scored Paino before Abraham induced a fly out to end the inning.

Abraham allowed one run in the eighth on an RBI single from Jack Crighton, and the solo homer from Lisit to finish the night with three innings pitched, one strikeout and two earned runs on five hits.

Chris Knier replaced him in the tenth inning and recorded a pop-up and a strikeout on eight total pitches. Peyton Prescott closed the game on the mound with a pair of strikeouts to set up the walk-off winner from Williams.

Game two is set for 6 p.m. on Saturday.