BRIGHTON, Mass. — History was made Saturday afternoon as sophomore Kylee Johnson launched a dramatic seventh-inning, two-run homer to lift Clemson to a 2-1 victory over top-seeded Florida State, securing the Tigers’ first-ever ACC Championship.
Clemson improves to 43-12 on the season, while the Seminoles fall to 46-9 after the tightly contested title game.
McCubbin Shuts the Door
Veteran right-hander Brooke McCubbin was dominant in relief, notching her 15th win of the season and third of the ACC Tournament.
Senior Reese Basinger got the start, giving the Tigers three solid innings. She allowed just one run — a solo homer — and struck out one. From there, McCubbin took control, tossing four shutout innings, scattering four hits, and stranding nine FSU runners. The Seminoles finished the game 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
Early Drama, Defensive Highlights
Clemson looked ready to strike first, loading the bases with two outs in the opening frame but couldn’t convert.
In the bottom half, Florida State put runners on first and second with no outs. But the Tiger defense responded in a big way — Alex Brown turned a critical double play, and catcher Aby Vieira caught a runner stealing third to end the threat.
Seminoles Strike First, Then Go Quiet
Florida State’s only offense came via a leadoff home run in the third, but Basinger and McCubbin combined to shut down the Seminoles the rest of the way.
After entering with a runner on and no outs in the fourth, McCubbin stranded two and kept the FSU lineup in check for the remainder of the game.
Johnson’s Heroics Seal It
In the seventh, Marian Collins drew a leadoff walk, giving Clemson life. Two batters later, Johnson crushed a 2-2 pitch to dead center, clearing the fence and flipping the game in Clemson’s favor at 2-1.
Florida State refused to go quietly, putting the tying and winning runs on base in the bottom of the seventh. But McCubbin induced a deep flyout, then froze the next batter with a filthy pitch. With two on and two out, a shallow fly ball to Jamison Brockenbrough in center sealed the win — and launched the celebration in Brighton.
Tournament Honors and What’s Next
Four Tigers were named to the ACC Championship All-Tournament Team, including:
- Taylor Pipkins (MVP)
- Aby Vieira
- Maddie Moore
- Brooke McCubbin
Selection Sunday Ahead
Next up for the newly crowned ACC champions: NCAA Tournament seeding. Clemson will learn its postseason fate on Sunday, May 11 at 7 p.m. ET during the NCAA Softball Championship Selection Show on ESPN2.
