Clemson’s Historic Season Comes to a Close in Austin
AUSTIN, Texas - No. 11 Clemson Softball saw its comeback bid fall short as No. 6 Texas (51-11) earned a spot in the Women’s College World Series with a 6-5 win on Saturday at McCombs Field in the Austin Super Regional. The Tigers (48-14) trailed by as many as four runs in facing a 5-1 deficit, but clawed back to within a run in the seventh inning on sophomore Julia Knowler’s two-run homer to center, and had the tying run on second base when the Longhorns closed out the game.
Head Coach John Rittman’s Tigers concluded the year with program records in nearly every offensive category, including games played, batting average, at bats, runs, hits, doubles, home runs, RBIs, total bases, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. Defensively, Clemson reached new heights with a program record in putouts, saves and innings pitched. Team Six won Clemson’s first ACC Championship and its first Super Regional game and closed with wins in 45 of its final 53 games.
Clemson had won the first game of the Super Regional, the program’s first such win, on Thursday night in a 7-4 thriller, but dropped a 7-5 ten-inning decision on Friday before coming up just short on Saturday.
After a scoreless first, Texas opened up a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a two-run double and an RBI single. Clemson would cut the deficit to 3-1 in the top of the third, with Macey Cintron scoring Maddie Moore on a single. Moore appeared to be beaten by the throw but made a spectacular slide to get her hand under the catcher’s tag.
The Longhorns extended their lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the inning on a sac bunt and then a wild pitch.
The Tigers again responded with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth on a sac fly from Jamison Brockenbrough and a Moore RBI single. Texas added a critical insurance run in the bottom of the inning to take a 6-3 lead.
In the top of the seventh, Knowler blasted a two-run shot to center, her 15th home run of the season, to draw the Tigers to within a run at 6-5. Cintron then walked on four straight pitches and was replaced by Ava Wilson. Wilson reached second on a groundout by Aby Vieira, but was stranded as Marian Collins hit a grounder back to the pitcher for the game’s final out.
Reese Basinger (18-6) took the loss after going 1.0 innings and giving up three earned runs. Cintron went 1.1 innings in the circle and allowed two earned runs. Brooke McCubbin worked the game’s final 3.2 innings, allowing three hits and one unearned run. Mac Morgan (10-4) earned the win for Texas, going 3.1 innings in relief, and allowed just one hit, Knowler’s home run in the seventh.
