Clemson Softball took the field to open the States Up Tournament and came away with a 4–0 loss to Texas State on Thursday night. Clemson slipped to 4–3 despite recording seven hits, just two fewer than Texas State’s nine. The Tigers showed depth at the plate, with seven different players collecting hits. Freshman Sarah Breaux delivered the first in the second inning, and Corri Hicks followed immediately with another, signaling early life from the lineup.
The opportunities were there all night. Clemson loaded pressure onto the defense in the middle and late innings, placing two runners on in both the fourth and fifth. The sixth and seventh innings each brought another baserunner. But the breakthrough never came. The Tigers left eight runners stranded, a number that tells the story of the game.
Texas State made its early chances count. A run in the first inning put Clemson behind. Two more in the third created a three-run gap. In the fifth, a solo home run put a cap on the scoring and locked in the 4–0 final.
Junior Sierra Maness got the start and battled through five innings in the circle. She struck out four but took her first loss of the season. In the sixth inning, junior Olivia Duncan stepped in and finished the game, keeping things steady the rest of the way.
Now the focus shifts quickly. Clemson returns to action Friday, Feb. 13, with a doubleheader ahead. First up is No. 9/11 Arkansas at 5:45 p.m. EST, followed by BYU at 8 p.m. EST. After a night that produced hits and chances but no runs, the Tigers will look to turn pressure into production in the next two games.
