In a dramatic semifinal clash at the 2025 ACC Softball Championship, the No. 2 seed Clemson Softball overcame a 9–2 deficit with an eight-run sixth inning to edge out No. 3 seed Virginia Tech 10–9 on Friday afternoon. The victory propels Clemson (43–12) into their third ACC title game in program history, where they will face top-seeded Florida State on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET
It was anything but a smooth start for Clemson. After giving up multiple unearned runs early, the Tigers fell behind 5–1 by the fourth inning. The Hokies took full advantage of Clemson’s defensive miscues and strung together timely hits, including a two-run homer from Cori McMillan that put pressure on the Tigers early.
Virginia Tech didn’t slow down. In the top of the sixth, they tacked on four more runs to stretch their lead to 9–2. At that point, the game looked all but over, with Clemson’s offense struggling to get anything going and the Hokies rolling with confidence.
But the bottom of the sixth flipped the entire script.
Clemson’s lineup came alive. A mix of base hits, walks, and hit batters allowed the Tigers to load the bases quickly. What followed was a string of quality at-bats that kept the inning going and the runs piling up. A few timely errors by Virginia Tech helped the rally, but Clemson did their part by staying patient and putting the ball in play.
The big moment came when Julia Knowler stepped up with the bases loaded. She drew a walk that brought home the go-ahead run, making it 10–9 and completing the eight-run inning. It was the type of inning that seemed to come out of nowhere, but it showed the depth and fight of Clemson’s offense when it mattered most.
From there, Brooke McCubbin took care of business in the circle. After entering in relief earlier in the game, she shut down Virginia Tech in the top of the seventh, retiring the side to close out the win. She threw 3.1 innings and gave the Tigers the stability they needed in a high-pressure moment.
Clemson didn’t hit any home runs in the game, but they didn’t need to. The comeback was powered by team-wide contributions—patient at-bats, smart base running, and clutch hitting. It also helped that Virginia Tech’s defense and pitching started to unravel late in the game, but Clemson was ready to capitalize.
The win sends Clemson (43–12) to its third ACC Championship appearance in just five seasons as a program. The Tigers will face a familiar opponent in Florida State, a team that has been a consistent powerhouse in the conference. Clemson has yet to win an ACC title but now has another shot on Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Clemson’s late-season momentum has been building, and Friday’s win only adds to it. After dropping a few games earlier in the season, the Tigers have strung together clutch performances down the stretch. Friday’s comeback was their 10th straight win away from home.
Regardless of the outcome in the title game, Clemson showed a lot of heart against Virginia Tech. It would’ve been easy to fold down seven runs with two innings to play. Instead, they battled their way to one of the most memorable wins in program history.
Now, with a championship on the line, they’ll look to carry that same fight into one more game.
