Clemson Completes Syracuse Sweep with Two Wins
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The No. 17/17 Clemson Tigers picked up two wins against the Syracuse Orange on Sunday to secure the three-game series sweep. The Tigers claimed the opening game, 10-1, in five innings, before sealing the sweep with a 7-1 win. With both wins, Clemson improves to 27-11 (11-4 ACC), while Syracuse drops to 16-17 (4-11 ACC).
Offensively, Clemson outscored the Orange, 30-4, over the three-game series. The Tigers tallied 13 hits over the course of both games on Sunday led by Lindsey Garcia and McKenzie Clark each tallying three.
Defensively, Clemson turned two double plays on the day - one in each game. Game one saw a 4-6-3 turn, while game two had a line drive sent to Maddie Moore at second who completed the play with a throw over to Julia Knowler at first.
Game 1 - W, 10-1 (5)
The Tigers got off to a hot start in the opening game after the first four batters were hit by two pitches and drew two walks to make it 1-0 without any outs with the bases loaded. Knowler reached on a fielder’s choice to keep the bases loaded for Alia Logoleo to draw the third walk of the inning to make it 2-0. Garcia added two insurance runs in the inning with a single to right field to plate Valerie Cagle and Knowler to make it 4-0 after one.
Clemson added another in the second after JoJo Hyatt drew a leadoff walk and was replaced by pinch runner Kennedy Ariail. Ariail advanced to third after Arielle Oda walked and Alex Brown brought her around to third, but it was Clark who clocked only the second hit of the game for the Tigers to bring home Ariail. Syracuse answered with one run in the bottom of the second to make it 5-1 in Clemson’s favor.
The Tigers scored again in the third to make it four-consecutive innings dating back to the series opener that Clemson had scored. Logoleo made it to first with a full-count walk and scored after Garcia clocked her second hit of the day with a home run out of right center. This was Garcia’s second home run of the 2024 season and the team’s 42nd.
Clark rounded things out with the 43rd home run of the year for the Tigers, and her team-high ninth, with a three-run shot in the top of the sixth. Hyatt opened the inning with a single to center. Oda and Brown both reached off a fielder’s choice and a fielding error, respectively, to put two on with two outs. Clark drove a 1-2 count pitch out of left field to make it 10-1, which held through the bottom of the sixth for the run-rule win. This is the 10th run-rule victory for the Tigers this season, and fourth in the last six games dating back to the series opener against Boston College.
Left-handed pitcher, Millie Thompson, started her ninth game of her senior season on Sunday morning. She faced 27 batters and struck out seven on the way to her fifth victory and second complete game.
Game 2 - W, 7-1
Clemson picked up game two of the day where it left off the first. After Brown walked, Knowler drove a 1-2 pitch out of right center to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead after one. This was Knowler’s fourth home run of the season.
The Tigers added two additional runs in the second inning after Aby Vieira reached on an error and advanced to third on a stolen base and throwing error by Syracuse’s catcher. Oda landed a hit through the 5-6 hole to score Vieira. Oda came home as Moore drove a pitch back up the middle for a single. After two, Clemson led 4-0.
Syracuse got a single run back in the fourth with a solo home run to make it 4-1 after four.
Clemson responded in the sixth as both Garcia and Vieira tallied back-to-back singles to lead off the sixth. On Vieira’s single, Julia Bomhardt, who was running for Garcia, advanced to third to be in position to score as Kylee Johnson reached on a fielder’s choice. Oda was hit by a pitch, and Moore reached on a fielding error to load the bases with one out as the Tigers held a 5-1 lead. Clark and Knowler both walked to bring in two additional runs to make it 7-1 after six, which held for the remainder of the series finale.
Junior Brooke McCubbin got her ninth start and pitched the complete seven innings. She faced 29 batters, striking out two, on the way to her eighth victory.
Up Next
The Tigers continue their road stretch with a midweek game in Columbia, S.C., against South Carolina on Tuesday, April 9. Action is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on ESPNU.