Clemson's season comes to an end one win, one run shy of World Series berth

Maddie Moore's slide helped keep the Tigers in the fight. (Clemson athletics photo)

David Hood · Senior Writer · Saturday, May 24 2025

A berth in the Women’s College World Series will have to wait another year for Clemson.

No. 6 Texas scored early and often and held on to defeat No. 11 Clemson 6-5 at Red & Charline McCombs Field in Austin, earning a trip to Oklahoma City and next week’s WCWS. Texas improves to 52-11 while Clemson falls to 48-14 and its season comes to a close.

The Tigers scored two runs in the top of the seventh on Julia Knowler's two-run homer, her 15th this season, to trim the Longhorn advantage from three runs to just one. Macey Cintron walked with one out and moved to second on a groundout, but Texas closed it out.

The season was remarkable in many ways for the Tigers—a bevy of young players coalesced around a nucleus of older players and wound up winning the program’s first-ever ACC Championship, a regional at home, and the program’s first-ever Super Regional game when it defeated Texas Thursday night.

The Tigers had a chance to earn that trip to Oklahoma when they had runners at second and third with no one out Friday night in the bottom of the eighth. However, Clemson failed to push a run across, and the series was all Texas from there.

The Tigers committed two costly errors, and two wild pitches led to runs for the Longhorns.

A walk and two doubles by Texas chased starter Reese Basinger in the second and scored a run for a quick 1-0 lead. Cintron replaced Basinger in the circle and picked up two quick outs, but a run-scoring single pushed the lead to 2-0.

Basinger was credited with one inning pitched. She gave up three runs (all earned) with one walk and no strikeouts.

Maddie Moore reached on an error with two gone in the third and moved to second on Knowler’s walk. Cintron followed with a single, and the ball beat Moore to the plate, but she snuck a hand in over the catcher’s glove and was ruled safe, giving the Tigers their first run.

However, Texas got that run and one other back in the bottom of the frame. A double and single chased Cintron, who was replaced by Brooke McCubbin. However, a single and a wild pitch scored two more runs, and the Longhorns led 5-1.

Cintron pitched 1 1/3 innings and gave up two runs, both earned.

The Tigers had a good chance in the top of the fourth. Marian Collins doubled to lead off the inning, and Taylor Pipkins walked. A sacrifice fly by Jamison Brockenbrough scored one run, and a Moore single to center scored Pipkins to make it 5-3. With two runners on base, however, Knowler grounded out to short to end the threat.

An error, a wild pitch, and a grounder scored another run for the Longhorns in the bottom of the fourth.

McCubbin held the Longhorns at bay over the next few innings, and despite the two runs in the seventh, the Longhorns advanced.