Behind seventeen hits and four home runs from Julia Knowler, Marian Collins, Kennedy Ariail, and Macey Cintron, Clemson Softball would leave Boca Raton Florida on a high note by beating Missouri State 13-0 in their final game of the Paradise Classic. The three-pitcher effort (McCubbin, Melynchuk, Duncan) would give the Tigers the combined shutout victory.
Game Highlights
Alex Brown would reach on a single, and after a Jamison Brockenbrough flyout, Knowler would hit a home run over dead center, making it 2-0 Tigers early. Brooke McCubbin would be back to start in the circle, delivering two of her four strikeouts on the day.
In the next frame, a freshman Sam Minish double followed by a fellow freshman Ava Wilson single would cause Missouri State coach Kasey Griffith to call time to settle the Bears defense. It would be to no avail, as another freshman Taylor Pipkins would hit a ball right over the shortstop’s glove to score Minish from third to make it 3-0. Another Brown single would load the bases and put the heat on for Brockenbrough with no outs. Coach Griffith had seen enough, prompting a pitching change for Missouri State and choosing to go from Aubrey Johansen to Makenzi Swick in relief. Brockenbrough would hit a sacrifice RBI, quickly followed by a bases-clearing double down the right field line by Knowler to make it 6-0 Clemson. Consecutive popouts would finally stop the bleeding, but the Tigers would be roaring headed to the bottom half of the second.
McCubbin would work around a single with a popout and two more strikeouts in the second. The third inning would give transfer Brook Melynchuk her second appearance as a Tiger in the circle. She would start by leading a 1-2-3 inning. It would be a shaky start to the fourth, though, walking the first batter and hitting the second. Brown would get her out of the jam with a 5-3 double play, however, and with runners at the corners, she’d force the ground out to first to retire the side and preserve the shutout (W, 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K).
Lefty sophomore Olivia Duncan would now get her first appearance of the young season in the circle for Clemson Softball. A diving effort by Wilson in right followed by a defensive play by Duncan in the circle would give her two quick outs to start the fifth. A groundout to first would end the inning, sitting down the Bears in order.
A Brown single would kick off the sixth inning. After flyouts by Brockenbrough and Knowler, Cintron would send a ball over the right fielder’s head to the wall to notch a RBI double and score Brown, who had stolen second on the previous pitch. In the seventh, Collins would blast a solo home run over right center to extend the Tiger lead to 8. After a single by Minish, Ariail would get a chance at the plate – and she’d deliver. A long ball over left field (the first home run of her career) would score two more, making it 10-0 Clemson. After a walk to Pipkins, Brown would send one off the center field wall to drive in another run and a double of her own. Cintron would again deliver, sending a rocket over the left center wall and scoring two more for the Tigers. That would finally chase Swick (5.2 IP, 11 H, 7 ER 1 BB, 1 K), with the Bears choosing to give Johansen a chance to get the final defensive out. She would (L, 1.1 IP, 6 H, 6 ER), with officials choosing to let the game go the distance regardless of the lopsided score of 13-0.
Despite two walks and a single with two outs given up by Duncan (2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 K), she’d deliver the third out (with bases loaded) via a ground ball back to the circle, and the game would be over.
Next Up
Clemson Softball (3-2) will head back to the confines of McWhorter Stadium for the home opener on Tuesday (6pm) to face the Furman Paladins (ACCNX).
