Tigers Edged In 10 Innings by Texas, 7-5, Setting Up Decisive Third Game
AUSTIN, Texas - Senior Maddie Moore and freshman Macey Cintron hit home runs, but the No. 11 Clemson Softball team (48-13) dropped a 10-inning battle, 7-5, to No. 6 Texas (50-12) on Friday evening at Red & Charline McCombs Field to even the Super Regional at a game apiece. The teams will meet Saturday in the rubber match on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET for a chance at the Super Regional title and a place at the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City. Okla.
Clemson, playing as the designated home team, erased three different deficits and registered 13 hits in the contest, but didn’t have an answer for two Texas runs in the top of the tenth inning off pitcher Brooke McCubbin (18-6), who went 6.0 innings of relief.
Four Tigers registered multiple hits, including three from sophomore Julia Knowler and two apiece from Aby Vieira, Marian Collins and Jamison Brockenbrough. The Tigers took a 5-4 lead in the fifth inning before Texas ace Teagen Cavan came in and held the Tigers scoreless in 5.2 innings in relief, and upping her season record to 24-5. Clemson had gotten to Cavan for five earned runs in game one, but Cavan held the Tigers scoreless on Friday, scattering five hits and a walk.
The Longhorns opened the scoring in the top of the second with a two-run homer after the leadoff batter of the inning was hit by a pitch.
Moore answered for the Tigers with a two-run home run in the third inning to even things. After Alex Brown doubled to left field with one out, Moore drove a 2-2 pitch out of left center for her 17th homer - this tied for second-most by a Tiger in a single season.
Texas reclaimed the lead in the top of the fourth with a solo home run by Reese Atwood. In the bottom half of the inning, Clemson got the run back. Vieira, who led off the inning with a first pitch single up the middle, was replaced by Kennedy Ariail, who advanced to second as Collins drew a walk. Texas picked up two outs, but Brockenbrough slapped a single past the third baseman that had Ariail running on contact and sliding into home safely.
Ava Wilson, who came in to run for Collins, and Brockenbrough advanced a base on a wild pitch. They were quickly joined by Brown, who walked, and Moore notched her 70th RBI of the year with a five-pitch walk to bring home Wilson. Wilson’s walk gave Clemson the 4-3 advantage.
The back-and-forth battle continued in the fifth when Texas clocked a two-out double off the left field fence to score two and retake the lead, 5-4. Freshman Macey Cintron leveled things with a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth for her 14th homer of the year and 50th RBI this season.
In what looked to be another lead change, Texas got two runners on in the top of the sixth inning. McCubbin shut the door for the Tigers with her second inning-ending strikeout to force the Longhorns to leave them stranded. Clemson went down in order, and neither side was able to capitalize in the seventh to force extras for the sixth time this season.
In the eighth, Clemson got two runners in scoring position after Collins and Pipkins singled and advanced on a wild pitch, but the Tigers left them stranded. In the ninth, the Longhorns got the same look after a two-out triple and an intentional walk with a stolen base put runners at second and third. McCubbin ended the inning with a fly out to left to end the inning.
The Longhorns scored twice in the top of the 10th inning to break the stalemate. A single, error and sac bunt put runners on second and third with one out. A sac fly scored the first run, and a single to second plated the second to make it 7-5 in Texas’ favor. Johnson drew a walk with two outs in the bottom of the frame, and Brockenbrough joined her with a single up the middle, but Clemson left both stranded as Texas forced a deciding game in the best-or-three series on Saturday.
Up Next
The Tigers return to the field on Saturday, May 24 at 9 p.m. ET on either ESPN or ESPN2 for the rubber match against Texas. Texas will be the designated home team in a game that will decide who advances to the Women’s College World Series.
