On a warm spring afternoon at McWhorter Stadium, Clemson, 30-17, 12-9 ACC, was ready to take on Virginia, 33-11, 10-10 ACC, in the second game of the series. After the Tigers dismantled the Cavaliers 12-4 on Friday night, they came back out Saturday with a gritty 3-1 win, officially clinching the series and setting the stage for the weekend sweep.
Abby Dunning opened up the game with a first-pitch strike, but Virginia managed to put two runners on after a walk and a steal. Despite a frustrated crowd and a scoring threat, Clemson escaped the inning.
Clemson’s defense worked quickly in the second, led by Sarah Breaux at third and a great foul-ball catch by Mac Pavese. In the bottom half, Breaux reached first after she was hit by a pitch, setting the stage for Corri Hicks. Hicks crushed a two-run homer to left field, firing up the stadium and giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
To start the fourth, Macey Cintron took over in the circle to relieve Dunning. With bases loaded, Virginia began to put pressure on the Tigers, though Kylee Johnson made a clutch catch in left field to escape the jam.
Marian Collins sparked the offense with a walk, followed by a double from Breaux. Despite having runners in scoring position, a groundout and a strikeout kept the score at 2-0.
At the bottom of the fifth, Jamison Brockenbrough recorded a hit and a steal to put a runner on second with one out. She soon advanced to third on a groundout from Kiley Channell before stealing home on a wild pitch to increase Clemson’s lead to 3-0.
The Tigers locked down the Cavaliers with six straight outs, but Virginia still wouldn’t go quietly. With one out in the final inning, a single and a walk fueled a rally for Virginia, eventually bringing in a run on a hit to right field. Despite the late pressure, Clemson held on for the 3-1 victory, officially taking Game 2 and the series.
“Just an excellent performance all around today from pitching, great defense and timely hitting and that’s what we talked about against these really good teams,” head coach John Rittman said after the game. “If you want to win a series, you’ve got to take care of those three components of the game.”
Clemson returned the next day with a dominant 6-1 victory to complete the series sweep over the Cavaliers. By taking all three games, the Tigers secured a massive statement victory over a highly ranked opponent.
The Tigers are back at McWhorter Stadium on Tuesday to face Presbyterian College at 6 p.m.
