No. 9 Tigers pull away from Zips late to extend home streak |
Clemson softball’s impressive home winning streak saw a little danger just over midway through the action on Saturday, but the Tigers recovered to notch a 19th win in a row at McWhorter Stadium, 10-5.
The Tigers (10-3) jumped on the Akron Zips (0-8) early with a 5-run first frame. Clemson loaded up the bases for catcher Aby Vieira, who sent a 1-1 offering to right center field for a grand slam. Clemson’s Marissa Guimbarda also knocked in a run on a single earlier on in the rally. McKenzie Clark tacked on another run with a trip around the bags for an inside the park home run in the second inning after a pair of Akron outfielders collided on Clark’s flyball to right center. Freshman right-handed Tigers starter Brooke McCubbin (2-1) threw four shutout innings to earn the win, with two strikeouts to no walks with three hits allowed. After her departure, things got interesting. Freshman right-hander Rachel Gibson ran into some trouble in the fifth with three Zips reaching base before an out and she wouldn’t get to record one with two wild pitches before redshirt sophomore Emma Whitfield came in relief. Akron brought five across the plate in all on three hits and an error to make it a one-run game. Clemson loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning with no out as well, but the Zips got out of it unscathed with a strikeout, fielder’s choice at home and a groundout. They had the same opportunity in the next frame and the Tigers took advantage this time with two runs scoring on a Zips error in right field and Cammy Pereira brought in two more on an RBI single. The Tigers brought in preseason All-American righty Valerie Cagle to close things out with two shutout innings for her second save of the year. Clark went 4-for-4 in the game, scoring three times. Clemson will take on Boston in a rematch to close out the Clemson Classic at 6 p.m. Saturday. The Tigers won the first meeting 8-0 on Friday. For the first time in PROGRAM HISTORY...McKenzie Clark records an inside the park home run ??@NCAASoftball | @SportsCenter#Team3 pic.twitter.com/QxnrcTFBuv Here comes the BOOM?
Aby Vieira's first career homer is a ?????????? ???????? ??#Team3 pic.twitter.com/gW7lTMHuU6
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