After a win and a loss on Feb. 27, No. 46-ranked Clemson softball hit major milestones the next day, upsetting No. 19 Mississippi State.

In their three-game weekend series, the victory on Feb. 28 was the only win the Tigers found over the Bulldogs. The previous day, they fell narrowly to Georgia Southern, 8-7, before Mississippi State took the series in Sunday’s winner-takes-all finale, 9-1.

Yet, Saturday’s win was a demonstration of how much potential this unit has.

The Tigers, 13-7, silenced the Bulldogs, 18-2, in a commanding 3-0 shutout, locking down the field in all seven innings. Mississippi State could not capitalize on key scoring opportunities, while Clemson rose to the moment with relentless defense and momentum-shifting hits to seal the upset in statement fashion.

Clemson came out aggressively in the opening inning, immediately applying pressure at the plate. Jamison Brockenbrough worked a walk to get things started, and Mac Pavese followed with an RBI double to left center to bring her home. Pavese later advanced to third on a wild pitch, setting up another scoring opportunity. Julia Knowler then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, allowing Pavese to score. The Tigers had already done their damage, jumping out to an early 2-0 lead and setting the tone for the game.

Mississippi State threatened in the top of the fourth, putting pressure on Clemson with a runner in scoring position. Kalani Sells doubled to right field to spark the opportunity and later advanced to third on a groundout by Anna Carder. With tension building, Des Rivera delivered a key defensive play, popping up to shortstop for the second out. Morgan Bernardini then grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning, as Clemson’s defense stood tall and escaped the threat without surrendering a run.

The Tigers added insurance in the fourth as Sarah Breaux ripped an RBI double down the third-base line, extending the Tigers’ lead to 3-0.

Holding Mississippi State scoreless, Clemson secured the 3-0 upset with four hits and flawless defense against the No. 12 team in the nation. The milestone victory marked head coach John Rittman’s 1,000th career win and 250th with Clemson softball.

“Just being surrounded by wonderful players over the years, and great coaches and great administrators, it’s special. It means I’ve been coaching a long time. It’s a milestone,” Rittman said after the game.

With the win, Clemson turns its focus to a match against College of Charleston on Wednesday at 6 p.m., looking to build on the momentum and deliver another strong performance in front of a home crowd.