In a thrilling conclusion to their weekend series, the No. 25 Clemson Softball secured a 7–6 victory over the No. 15 Stanford Cardinal on Sunday afternoon at Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium. This win clinched the series for Clemson, marking a significant achievement as the Tigers became the first team to defeat Stanford at home this season.
The game began with both teams held scoreless through the first two innings. Stanford broke the deadlock in the bottom of the third when Taryn Kern hit a two-run homer to left center, bringing in Kylie Chung and giving the Cardinal a 2–0 lead.
Clemson’s bats came alive in the top of the fifth inning. Taylor Pipkins led off with a double, followed by a single from Jamison Brockenbrough. After Alex Brown reached on a fielder’s choice, Maddie Moore delivered a bases-clearing triple, driving in three runs and putting the Tigers ahead 3–2. Moore then scored on a sacrifice fly by Julia Knowler, extending Clemson’s lead to 4–2.
Stanford responded in the bottom half of the inning. Kern hit her second home run of the game, a solo shot to left center, narrowing the gap to 4–3. Later in the inning, Jade Berry grounded out to shortstop, allowing River Mahler to score and tie the game at 4–4
In the top of the sixth, Clemson regained the lead. With runners on second and third, Pipkins hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Kennedy Ariail. Brockenbrough then singled to bring home another run, followed by Brown reaching on a fielder’s choice that allowed Brockenbrough to score, pushing the Tigers’ advantage to 7–4.
Stanford added a run in the bottom of the sixth when Emily Jones hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Ayame Morikawa and making it 7–5.
The Cardinal threatened in the bottom of the seventh. With two runners on, Caitlin Koch singled to drive in Kyra Chan, cutting Clemson’s lead to 7–6. However, the Tigers’ defense held firm, securing the final outs to preserve the victory.
Clemson’s pitching staff displayed resilience throughout the game. Starter Reese Basinger pitched 4.1 innings, allowing four runs on five hits with one strikeout. Brooke McCubbin came on in relief, throwing 2.2 innings and giving up two runs on five hits while recording one strikeout.
With this victory, Clemson improved to 30–11 on the season, marking their fifth consecutive season with at least 30 wins. The Tigers’ series win over a top-15 opponent on the road underscores their competitiveness and determination as they progress through the season.
Clemson will return home to host Furman on April 9 at McWhorter Stadium. The Tigers aim to build on this momentum as they continue their pursuit of excellence in the ACC.
Stanford, now 26–8, will look to regroup as they prepare for their upcoming conference matchups.
This hard-fought series showcased the resilience and talent of both teams, setting the stage for compelling softball action in the weeks to come
