Tigers sweep Furman series, stretch winning streak to 13 games |
Behind dominant pitching in the circle, the No. 25-ranked Clemson softball team swept both games of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Furman Paladins, 5-0 and 8-1 respectively. The two wins were the 12th and 13th consecutive victories for the Tigers, the longest winning streak in the ACC. Clemson moves to 16-2 overall and has now swept four straight series.
The Tigers move to 30-0 when scoring five or more runs under head coach John Rittman. It’s not all offense that is propelling Clemson on this winning streak though, and the second-year Tigers head coach knows that. “We’re an explosive offensive team and we can score runs in a variety of ways,” Rittman said after the doubleheader sweep. “We’ve been playing extremely well defensively and our pitching is doing very well. It’s really all three of those components that are helping us on this streak.” Millie Thompson made her fourth start of the season in game one of the doubleheader and picked up her first collegiate win of her career. The freshman allowed two hits across 5.0 innings pitched and struck out two Paladins. Regan Spencer also saw some action, not allowing a hit in 2.0 innings pitched to close out the sixth and seventh inning. Clemson used a trio of pitchers in the series-concluding game. Valerie Cagle picked up her 10th win of the season after tossing 4.0 innings and not allowing a run. Emma Whitfield and Logan Caymol also saw action in the circle for the Tigers. Cagle also had a nice day at the plate, going 4-for-8 and driving in four runs combined. Clemson was led in the second game of the day with three home runs from Abi Stuart, Ansley Gilstrap and Alia Logoleo. Gilstrap on the afternoon was 3-of-6 at the plate with three RBI. The Tigers will take a spring break trip to Louisville, Kentucky next weekend for a four-game ACC series against the Cardinals. Louisville currently sits in the top half of the ACC standings with a 3-2 conference record. Game One: Clemson 5, Furman 0 It didn’t take long for the Tigers to get on the board in the first game of the day, attacking Furman’s pitcher for three quick runs in the first inning. McKenzie Clark led the rally off with a single and stole her 15th base of the season before Gilstrap drew a walk. Cagle sent a line drive down the left field line for her first double and RBI of the day to drive the first run of the game in. Grace Mattimore, in her first game back from injury, drove a ball right back up the middle, scoring two to take a 3-0 lead. Clemson extended its lead in the third, scoring two runs on two hits and a Furman error. Stuart led the inning off with a single and scored the next batter after Cagle roped her second double of the afternoon down the left field line once again. Morgan Johnson picked up her first RBI of the weekend later in the inning, drawing a walk with the bases loaded to increase the Tigers’ lead, 5-0. The Paladins picked up their first hit in the fourth inning, just one of two hits that Thompson allowed. The true freshman sent down the next three batters in order to get herself out of the inning. Freshman Jaden Cheek singled to right field with two outs in the fifth inning to record her first collegiate hit with Clemson. Game Two: Clemson 8, Furman 1 Clemson got on the board early once again in the concluding game of the series, scoring two runs on two hits in the first inning. Cagle singled up the middle to drive in two runs and pick up her third and fourth RBI of the day. The following inning, Casey Bigham stayed hot at the plate, doubling to right field and the following batter, Clark, singled to put runners on the corners. Gilstrap launched her second home run of the season over the left field wall to increase the lead, 5-1. The Tigers added another two runs to their lead in the third inning, using two solo home runs from Stuart and Logoleo to increase the lead, 7-1. Marissa Guimbarda singled up the middle in the fourth to drive in Clark to increase the Tigers’ lead, 8-1. The RBI was Guimbarda’s 21st of the season, which is still the most in the ACC. ABI STUART ??????#SCTop10 #D1Top10 ?? ANOTHA ONE! ?? Abi Stuart extends our lead to 6-1 with her third home run of the season, a solo shot over the centerfield wall! GILSTRAP, GOODBYE ?? "That's just Valerie Cagle doing Valerie Cagle things." Valerie Cagle puts us on the board first with an RBI double to opposite left ??
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Alia Logoleo hits our third home run of the game and second of the inning. We lead it, 7-1.
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That's her second home run of the season and ninth of her career.
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That's her second RBI double to opposite left today ??
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