Clemson softball left Columbia, South Carolina with a victory on Tuesday night, taking down the Gamecocks in a game that came down to the wire.
After a three-run fifth inning, the Tigers entered the bottom of the seventh up 3-0, with sophomore pitcher Millie Thompson taking the circle. After giving up two singles, Thompson was replaced by Valerie Cagle.
With two outs on the board, the Gamecocks had bases loaded and a chance to pull out a late-victory, but Cagle struck out South Carolina pitcher Leah Powell and was able to seal the 3-1 victory.
Although replaced late in the game, Thompson finished the game with seven strikeouts and allowed three hits on the night. 
“Just a terrific effort in the circle,” Clemson head coach John Rittman said of Thompson. “Kept them off balance. Just a terrific job.”
As for the offense, Clemson recorded six hits on the night, all of which came from six different players. 
With the victory, Clemson softball has now won 10 straight games and moves to 31-10. The Tigers also completed the sweep against the Gamecocks after defeating them 8-1 on March 30. 
As the Tigers look ahead to a three-game series against Notre Dame that starts on Thursday, Rittman is expecting a hard-fought matchup.
“We know it’s going to be a dogfight this weekend,” he said. “We’re ready for it and I know they’ll be ready. It should be a great, terrific ACC weekend.”