The Clemson softball team opened its 2025 season in sunny Boca Raton, Florida, kicking the year off with a five-game tournament at the Paradise Classic. The Tigers’ schedule featured Ole Miss, Kansas, Florida Atlantic, Georgia State and Missouri State.
The Tigers dropped their season opener to Ole Miss on Thursday, 3-2, despite a complete game pitched by senior transfer Reese Basinger. Without Maddie Moore in the lineup, the team needed an offensive boost, which they received from freshman Macey Cintron, who blasted a two-run homer early in the second inning.
This would be their only score of the game, as the Rebels got their timing down against Basinger in the fourth inning when she allowed a three-run home run to Rebel pinch-hitter Percy Llamas. This was all Ole Miss needed to seal the game against the Tigers.
Clemson bounced back in the second game of the doubleheader, defeating Kansas 4-3 later in the day. Two different Tigers hit home runs: junior transfer Jamison Brockenbrough and sophomore Julia Knowler.
Brockenbrough’s home run tied the game in the first inning, and Knowler quickly followed with back-to-back home runs to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead. Brockenbrough later added another run in the game, coming in the second.
The Tigers received another dominant performance from the mound, this time from senior Brooke McCubbin (6.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 K). Basinger earned the save with a strikeout and popout to secure the Tigers’ first win of the season.
Clemson split the Thursday doubleheader 1-1, with promising results from their new transfers and freshmen.
The Tigers came up short against Florida Atlantic on Friday, falling 6-2 in a game marked by missed chances. Clemson stranded 10 runners on base while the Owls capitalized on their opportunities.
Florida Atlantic opened the second inning with a solo home run on the first pitch, then added three more singles that resulted in another run. Three defensive errors in the fourth inning allowed the Owls to extend their lead to 6-0.
Basinger struggled on the mound, allowing six hits and two earned runs in just two innings. McCubbin came in as relief, pitching three innings but surrendering three more runs.
The only runs for the Tigers came from Knowler’s sacrifice fly and a throwing error that allowed Brockenbrough to score.
Clemson came out swinging on Saturday, crushing Georgia State 10-1 in the third game of the tournament. The run-rule victory was led by the freshman once again, including Cintron, who pitched five innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out eight and adding her own RBI at the plate.
Fellow freshman Sam Minish led the team with three RBIs, while Marian Collins added two RBIs and both Ava Wilson and Taylor Pipkins each drove in one run.
The final inning offered a promising sight as graduate transfer Brook Melnychuk took the mound for the first time since sustaining an injury from a comebacker during the Orange vs. Purple scrimmage game. Melnychuk sat down three of her four batters faced in the Tigers’ final defensive frame of the day.
Clemson wrapped up the Paradise Classic with a 13-0 shutout victory over Missouri State on Sunday.
The Tigers tallied 17 hits — tied for third-most in program history — and their four home runs tied a single-game record. Three of those home runs all occurred in the seventh inning.
Brown, Brockenbrough, Collins and Pipkins each recorded one RBI, Kennedy Ariail drove in two, Cintron had three and Knowler knocked in four. Knowler, Collins, Cintron and Ariail were among the Tigers who homered.
McCubbin, Melnychuk and Olivia Duncan combined for seven innings of shutout ball, recording seven strikeouts. Melnychuk received the win, pitching two innings and striking out one.
The Tigers head home with a 3-2 record and will start preparing for their home debut against Charlotte on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
