Tigers Extend Win Streak to 14; Defeat CSU Twice
CLEMSON, S.C. - Home runs from Julia Knowler, Marian Collins and a grand slam by Alex Brown highlight the Tigers’ night at the plate and propelled Clemson (17-6) to two shutouts against Charleston Southern (9-9) on Wednesday night. The Tigers opened the night with a 7-0 win, before capping the night with a 12-0 run-rule in five.
Clemson has now extended its win streak to 14 games, the longest streak since 2023. Both of tonight’s shutouts are the sixth and seventh of the season for the Tigers, and the run-rule of game two is the seventh of the year.
Game 1 (W) - Clemson 7 - Charleston Southern 0
In the opening game, Clemson put up 11 hits at the bats of eight different Tigers. Senior Maddie Moore led the way going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI. Aby Vieira joined her with a multi-hit performance with two hits, while Julia Knowler finished with two RBIs and Alex Brown scored two runs.
After both Brown and Moore singled to get on, they advanced into scoring position on a groundout by Knowler. Brown struck first for the Tigers by scoring on a wild pitch to mark the ninth-straight game she has scored a run in - good enough for the program record. Moore was brought in on an RBI single to center by Macey Cintron for the 20th RBI of Cintron’s freshman campaign and the 19th run of Moore’s senior year. Clemson went on to load the bases, but CSU got out of the inning with the Tigers leading 2-0.
Defensively through the first two innings, senior Brooke McCubbin needed only 10 pitches to pick up six outs and bring the Tiger offense back to the plate.
The Tigers struck again in the third inning after freshman Sam Minish drew her seventh walk of the season to open the inning. She advanced to third as Vieira picked up her second hit of the game with a single up the middle to allow freshman Ava Wilson to notch her 16th RBI with a single to center that also advanced Vieira to third. CSU ended the inning with a double play, but Clemson held a 3-0 lead heading to the fourth.
Charleston Southern got its first hit of the game in the top of the fourth with a triple into center, but Clemson’s defense followed with three outs, including a strikeout by McCubbin, to end the inning and bring the top of the lineup back to the plate for the Tigers.
The Tigers added three more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning after Brown drew her second walk of the game and then stole her sixth base of the year to be in scoring position for Moore to knock an RBI single through the left side. Knowler followed with her eighth home run of the year in the first pitch she saw of the at bat. She sent the pitch 263 feet for her 32nd and 33rd RBIs of the year and extended Clemson’s lead to 6-0.
Marian Collins added one more run off a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth inning to bring the score to 7-0, which held for the remainder of the game. This was Collins’ fourth homer of the year and traveled 257 feet.
McCubbin earned her fifth win of the year after throwing five innings with one strikeout, no walks and only one hit in the 16 batters she faced. Graduate Brook Melnychuk pitched two innings of relief and allowed only one hit after facing eight batters.
Game 2 (W) - Clemson 12 - Charleston Southern 0 (5)
Clemson wasted no time to jump ahead and take a 5-0 lead in the first inning. Brown drew her fourth walk of the day and took second on a wild pitch. Moore notched her fourth hit of the day with a single to plate Brown. Knowler also clocked a hit, but was out as Vieira reached on a fielder’s choice. Vieira stole second, and Minish drew a walk to load the bases with only one out and a 1-0 lead.
Haylee Whitesides notched her first of the day with a single that scored both Moore and Vieira. Freshman Riley Fennell, who was running for Minish, scored on a wild pitch, and Marian Collins tallied a sac fly to score Whitesides in the first.
The Tigers tacked on another seven runs in the second inning, including a grand slam from Brown. It began with a Moore walk, and Vieira doubled to put runners on second and third with one out. Minish once again walked to load the bases. Whitesides drew a bases loaded walk, and Collins doubled to left center to plate three more runners down the stretch. Jamison Brockenbrough walked to once again load the bases, and allowed Brown to drive the second pitch of her at bat 222 feet for a grand slam. This was Brown’s first home run of the season and was the second grand slam by a Tiger after Ava Wilson hit one earlier this season against Missouri. Clemson maintained a 12-0 lead after two.
Cintron got the start in the second game. She pitched three innings with two strikeouts en route to her fifth win of the season. Sophomore Olivia Duncan pitched the final two innings of relief, and picked up one strikeout.
Up Next
The Tigers continue their home stretch this weekend by opening ACC play action against No. 14 Duke in McWhorter Stadium. Weekend action is slated to begin on Friday, March 7 at 6 p.m. on ACCNX.