Clemson softball, seeded No. 5 in the ACC Championship Tournament, took care of business against No. 4 Notre Dame in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Thursday, defeating the Fighting Irish 7-3 and advancing to the semifinals.  

With the game tied up 2-2 heading into the fifth, the Tigers got a spark from second baseman Cammy Pereira, who homered a ball to center field to take a one-run lead. Clemson catcher Aby Vieira then extended the lead to three runs after she delivered a single that brought home Marissa Guimbarda and Ansley Houston. 

Valerie Cagle, who played first baseman as opposed to pitcher, also managed a homer in the final inning. Vieira crossed home base again in the seventh as well, tacking on two more runs and paving the way for the victory.   

“Hard fought win today,” said Clemson head coach John Rittman. “We had production from top to bottom [of the batting lineup], and against good teams like Notre Dame you need that.” 

Sophomore pitcher Millie Thompson returned to start in the circle for Clemson, where she pitched for the entirety of the game. In seven innings, she had two strikeouts and gave up six hits while earning a 1.70 ERA. 

With the victory, the Tigers will play Virginia Tech in Friday’s single elimination semifinals at 1 p.m. to push their way to a possible second ACC title game appearance in the program’s first three seasons.