Clemson captures ACC crown, wraps regular season in style at Syracuse |
Alia Logoleo hit three home runs and the No. 11 Clemson offense erupted for 19 runs on Sunday at Skytop Stadium in Syracuse, New York, as the Tigers claimed the program’s first-ever ACC Regular Season Championship in just its first full season of competition with the 19-2 victory over the Orange. In the 72nd game in program history, head coach
John Rittman and his team secured the No. 1 seed in next week's ACC Tournament.
Logoleo was 4-for-4 on the day with three home runs, a double and 10 RBIs. The redshirt freshman Tennessee native hit a three-run shot in the first, a grand slam in the second, and a two-run homer to dead center field. Logoleo’s fourth at-bat was a frozen rope double to the wall in left center, scoring yet another run for Clemson. The 10 RBIs from Logoleo mark the most runs driven in by any player in Division I softball game this season. Millie Thompson got the nod from Rittman in the circle, and the true freshman showed the competitive nature that her head coach talked about last week. The Virginia native allowed two runs and struck out seven while winning her ninth consecutive start in the biggest game of her Clemson career. Eleven Clemson batters made their way around the bases and scored a run on the afternoon and 14 batters saw a plate appearance as Rittman emptied the bench in the later stages of the contest. Clemson finishes the season 40-5, playing 45 of 50 originally scheduled games. The ACC Regular Season Champs finish the conference season with a 29-5 record and will play as the first seed in next weeks ACC Tournament in Louisville, Kentucky. Logoleo got the Tigers on the board early, scoring four runs in the opening frame to take an early 4-0 lead. The inning was highlighted by Logoleo’s three-run shot to left field that opened up the lead and energized the Clemson dugout. If there was any doubt about how much the Tigers wanted the championship, they were put to bed in the second inning as Clemson scored seven runs on six hits to take a commanding 11-0 lead. Logoleo hit her second home run in as many at-bats, this one coming with the bases loaded to give her seven RBI in just two plate appearances. Ansley Gilstrap, Guimbarda and JoJo Hyatt also drove in runs during the rally. Logoleo did it again in her third plate appearance, launching her third home run in as many innings to increase the lead to 13. The Tennessee native came into the day with just four homers and 18 RBI on the season. Clemson scored four more runs in the top of the fifth and opened up its lead, 17-2. Kyah Keller hit a bases clearing double with one out as the runs just kept coming for the offense. The Tigers added two more before the inning was over and took a 19-2 lead into the final three outs of the regular season. Regan Spencer pitched the seventh inning, sending the Orange down 1-2-3 as the gloves flew in the air and the dogpile ensued. The cele ?????? pic.twitter.com/4OOYsCzmX5 Alia's now 4-for-4 on the day after adding an RBI double in the top of the fifth. Your Clemson Tigers are the 2021 ACC Softball regular-season champions?? pic.twitter.com/oxb50tZJrm A remarkable accomplishment by this program in it's first full season. @rittmanjohn has built this program into a power and done so the right way.
?? Her 10 RBI are the most in a Division I game this season. https://t.co/47lL90yZel
The Best is Yet to Come! https://t.co/nb3Zi0kgIq
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