CLEMSON- Clemson’s 5-3 win over the No. 11 Georgia Bulldogs Wednesday proved that a home underdog with something to prove is always dangerous.
The Tigers ensured that a three-run offensive burst by the Bulldogs (14-1) was not enough to stifle Clemson’s will to win in a battle fueled by doubles and strikeouts.
The Tigers (10-6) wasted no time getting offensive production rolling. Third baseman Alex Brown got the momentum started when she rocked the game’s second pitch to right field for a quick double. A fielder’s choice from Julia Knowler pushed Brown to third base, and a single from freshman Macey Cintron knocked her in for the game’s first score.
Brown finished two-for-four from the plate with an RBI.
Two innings later, Knowler extended the lead with a solo shot home run that brought the lead 2-0. The homer traveled 256 feet into the parking lot of McWhorter Stadium with an exit velocity of 80 miles per hour. It marked the sophomore’s sixth home run of the young season and the eleventh of her career.
In the bottom of the fourth, right fielder Ava Wilson got the offense started by drawing a leadoff walk. A sacrifice bunt pushed her over into scoring position. A two-out, right-field shot from Jamison Brockenbrough, a University of Tennessee transfer, knocked in the third run for the Tigers.
Following Clemson’s third run of the day, Georgia’s offense awakened for the first time in the fifth inning. Two consecutive doubles from right fielder Emma Castori and third baseman Mua Williams put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard for the first time.
Two batters later, pinch-hitter Tyler Ellison hit a two-run homer to even the score 3-3. A groundout and strikeout from right-handed pitcher Reese Basinger ensured an even score as the inning came to a close.
Clemson was not ready to roll over.
In the sixth, Clemson pinch hitter Haylee Whitesides knocked a double over Georgia’s shortstop to put the Tigers in scoring position. Sam Minish pushed her over to third with her first hit of the day, and a sacrifice fly and fielding error brought Whitesides back home for a renewed Tigers’ lead. A single from Brown pushed Minish home to extend the lead 5-3.
Basinger got her sixth start of the year for the Tigers and proved nearly unhittable through three innings, holding Georgia hitters to one-of-13. The Winthrop transfer allowed no runs and no hits through three innings. She gave up three runs on five hits in the fourth and fifth innings but finished with a total of eight strikeouts and only one walk. The senior was replaced by fellow righty Brooke McCubbin in the sixth.
McCubbin finished with two strikeouts and allowed one hit in two innings of work.
“We’ve said all along this pitching staff is going to have to gel and come together,” head coach John Rittman said following the win. “We’re going to have to have some patience as we grow as a team, and our pitchers have done that.”
With the win, the Tigers extend their winning streak to seven games after starting 3-6 in the first ten days of the season. Rittman believes that the victory provides confidence and momentum for his team going forward.
“It’s huge for our program, especially our young players,” he said. “We’ve lost a lot of really close games this year, self-inflicted in some of those. It’s hard to see, but I knew we had the talent, the mindset, the belief, and the culture. If we just kept working hard, this team would come together.”
Up Next
The Tigers’ next chance to win is Friday, when they take on Lafayette in the first game of the Tiger Invitational at McWhorter Stadium. First pitch is set for 12:30 p.m.