Clemson softball will appear in the ACC Championship game for the second consecutive season following the Tigers defeat of No. 1 seeded Virginia Tech 4-1 on Friday.
Led by shortstop Alia Logoleo, the Tigers outhit the Hokies 5-4 in the matchup. Logoleo finished the game with two solo home runs, the second of which came in the top of the seventh and was a bomb to center field that made a Virginia Tech comeback insurmountable.
Meanwhile, in the circle, Clemson pitcher Valerie Cagle had two strikeouts in her seven innings pitched. Cagle also received the win over Virginia Tech pitcher Emma Lemley, who was this season’s ACC Freshman of the Year.
With the victory, the Tigers will play the winner of Florida State and Duke’s semifinal game, with the Championship game slated to begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday.Clemson was swept by the Seminoles in the regular season and dropped two of its three games against the Blue Devils, so whichever team meets Clemson to compete for the trophy will be a challenge for the Tigers.
Still, Friday’s game was the Tigers’ sixth straight win, giving head coach John Rittman and his team momentum.