The Clemson softball team opened its first game of its second season with a dominating 11-0 win over Illinois State Friday at the UNF Softball Complex in Jacksonville, Fla.
Right-handed pitcher Valerie Cagle recorded her first win of the season after allowing just one hit from the circle. Cagle also retired nine of 15 Illinois State batters via strikeout.
The game was called after five-innings due to the mercy rule.
The Tigers (1-0) wasted no time as freshman McKenzie Clark came out swinging in her first collegiate at-bat, registering a triple to right field, and then an error led to her to successfully rounding third to give the Tigers an early 1-0 lead.
Clemson extended its lead to 3-0 with a two-run homer by Marissa Guimabarda in the first inning. It was her 36th career home run.
In the fifth inning, the Tigers piled on another five runs with RBIs recorded from Guimbarda, Ansley Gilstrap, Casey Bigham, and Clark. Guimbarda and Clark both finished Friday’s opening contest with three RBIs each.
Making her Clemson debut, infielder Ansley Gilstrap registered one hit, one RBI and one run scored.
—courtesy of Clemson Athletic Communications
