Clemson’s Valerie Cagle hit a pair of two-run home runs and earned her second career save to lead the Tigers to a 4-3 win over North Florida Friday in Game 2 of two games at the UNF Softball Complex in Jacksonville, Fla.
The victory was Clemson’s first true road victory in program history. The Tigers also won 11-0 earlier in the day to Illinois State to open the 2021 season.
Cagle homered in the first and seventh innings to bookend the Tigers’ second victory of the day. Freshman righty Regan Spencer made her career debut in the circle and earned the victory after entering the game in the bottom of the fifth with the Tigers trailing, 3-2.
With the win, Clemson improved to 2-0 on the season, while UNF fell to 1-1.
Grace Mattimore, who batted second in Saturday’s lineup in front of Cagle, reached first base safely prior to both of Cagle’s homers. UNF took the lead in the bottom of the fourth after two hits and one Clemson error led to three runs for the Ospreys.
Freshman lefty Millie Thompson started in the circle for the Tigers and retired 14 of nineteen batters faced. Thompson also recorded two strikeouts and surrendered two earned runs in four innings of work.
Despite 10 hits for the game, the Tigers did not come up with another run until the seventh inning.
Clemson takes on Illinois State again Saturday at Jacksonville University. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
–courtesy Clemson Athletic Communications
