The Clemson Tigers Softball team put together a resilient weekend on the road, taking two of three from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish softball at Melissa Cook Stadium, using a mix of dominant pitching, clutch hitting, and timely adjustments to secure the series.
The No. 25 Tigers opened the set Friday night with a 4-0 victory, highlighted by late-game execution and another standout performance from Sierra Maness. The junior right-hander delivered her seventh complete game of the season and third solo shutout, improving to 12 wins on the year. She allowed just three hits, struck out four, and kept Notre Dame off balance throughout the contest. Clemson’s defense backed her effort with two double plays, tying its season high for a single game.
Although Clemson threatened early by loading the bases in the second inning, the breakthrough didn’t come until the fourth. Macey Cintron worked a full-count walk to get things started, and pinch runner Taylor Pipkins moved into scoring position before Kylee Johnson drove her in with a single down the left-field line to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
The Tigers created separation in the later innings. In the sixth, Julia Knowler added an RBI single to double the advantage. An inning later, Cintron provided the biggest swing of the night, launching her third home run of the season to open the seventh. Johnson followed with a triple and eventually scored on an RBI single from Jamison Brockenbrough, stretching the lead to four. Clemson closed the door efficiently in the bottom half, sealing its ACC-leading 10th shutout of the season and improving to 21-9 overall (5-2 ACC).
Saturday’s game shifted momentum in the opposite direction, as Notre Dame claimed an 11-3 win in six innings. Clemson briefly seized control in the third inning thanks to patience at the plate. After Pipkins was hit by a pitch and Brockenbrough drew a walk, a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position. Three consecutive walks by Knowler, Marian Collins, and Corri Hicks forced in two runs, giving Clemson a 2-1 lead.
That advantage was short-lived. Notre Dame answered immediately in the bottom half, capitalizing on a hit batter and an error before stringing together timely hits to plate three runs and jump ahead 5-2. Clemson’s pitching staff rotated throughout the game, with Abby Dunning starting and working two innings with one strikeout before giving way to freshman Keira Crosby. Cintron also made her third appearance in the circle, and Lexie Hames closed things out.
Brockenbrough provided a bright spot offensively with her fourth home run of the season, a solo shot in the fourth inning. She also scored twice in the game, accounting for much of Clemson’s production. Cintron and Johnson each added hits, while Collins and Hicks recorded RBIs. Despite those contributions, Notre Dame continued to extend its lead, scoring two more runs in the fourth, another in the fifth, and three in the sixth to end the game early and even the series.
With the rubber match set for Sunday, Clemson responded with a composed 4-1 victory to secure the series. The Tigers’ offense produced eight hits compared to just three for Notre Dame, with Mac Pavese leading the way. The freshman recorded her team-high 15th multi-hit game of the season, finishing with two hits and an RBI. Cintron also turned in a multi-hit effort and drove in a run, while Collins delivered her team-leading seventh multi-RBI performance with two runs batted in.
Clemson wasted little time getting on the board. Brockenbrough drew a leadoff walk and later scored when Cintron singled up the middle. In the third inning, the Tigers created more distance. After a walk by Kiley Channell and a double from Pavese put runners in scoring position, Cintron drew another walk to load the bases. Collins then came through with a two-run single, pushing the lead to 3-0.
Notre Dame managed to get one run back in the bottom of the third, but that would be all the offense Maness allowed. The junior improved to 13-3 with her second win of the weekend, tossing another complete game while allowing just one run on three hits with three strikeouts and one walk.
Clemson added an insurance run in the seventh when Brockenbrough doubled and later scored on Pavese’s RBI single. From there, the Tigers closed things out cleanly, retiring Notre Dame in order in the final frame—capped by a reviewed out call at first base—to lock up the win.
By the end of the weekend, Clemson stood at 22-10 overall (6-3 ACC), capturing its third conference series of the season. The Tigers combined strong pitching performances, including two complete games from Maness, with timely offensive production to bounce back from Saturday’s setback and leave South Bend with a series victory.
