Tigers Run-Rule Lancers in Six

Behind a five-run sixth inning, including a two-run homer by redshirt senior Valerie Cagle, No. 10/11 Clemson secured a 9-1 run-rule victory against Longwood on Saturday evening. Tonight’s victory marked the fourth run-rule for the Tigers this season.

Offensively, the Tigers (16-6) tallied eight hits led by junior Aby Vieira going 3-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored. Cagle followed with two hits, three RBIs and one run, while Alex Brown (one hit, two runs), McKenzie Clark (one hit, one run, one RBI) and Alia Logoleo (one hit, one run, one RBI) rounded out the hits.

Alongside hitting the walk-off homer, Cagle picked up the victory in the circle pitching 6.0 innings with seven strikeouts. She improves to 7-4 on the season. This also marks the 30th time that Cagle has hit a home run and earned the victory in the circle, and the second time this season the Yorktown, Va., native has accomplished the feat. In games where Cagle has a home run and the pitching decision, Clemson is 30-4 during her career.

Logoleo got the Tigers going in the bottom of the second inning with a leadoff triple off the right-center fence. Vieira came up with her ninth RBI of the season by bringing Logoleo home off a single down the left-field line to make it 1-0.

Throughout the game, the Clemson defense proved to be efficient and effective. The Lancers (7-15) were able to get runners on in three of the first five innings, but the Tigers forced Longwood to leave them stranded. Cagle in particular made her third line-drive grab in as many weeks in the circle.

Clemson tacked on three additional runs to move ahead, 4-0. Brown, Clark and Cagle hit three-consecutive singles, with Cagle’s bringing home Brown for the first run of the inning. Clark had advanced to third on Cagle’s single and quickly took home on a passed ball in the next at bat that brought Julia Bomhardt, who was running for Cagle, to third. Bomhardt closed out the scoring that inning by coming home on a squeeze bunt laid down by Logoleo.

Longwood cut Clemson’s lead down to three with a solo home run in the top of the sixth, but the Tigers answered in the bottom half of the inning. The first three batters, Vieira (single), Abi Stuart (walk) and Kennedy Ariail (walk) loaded the bases to bring Brown back to the plate. With a slap hit, Brown safely made it to first as Vieira scored a run on a throwing error that also brought Haylee Whitesides, who was running for Stuart, across the plate. Clark notched her RBI with a sac fly to right field to score Ariail from third, and Cagle clinched the run-rule for the Tigers with a two-run bomb out of right center.

Up Next
Clemson concludes the Tiger Invitational tomorrow, March 10 at 12:30 p.m. with a matchup against Fordham. Action can be watched live on ACCNX.