Clemson's history-making season ends as No. 3 Alabama wins regional

Clemson won the ACC regular season and garnered multiple conference honors in a first full season as a program. (Clemson athletics photo)

by Zachary Wagner - Correspondent - Sun May 23 16:37:55 GMT-04:00 2021

The second-seeded Clemson softball team was once again unable to crack the scoreboard against No. 3 National Seed Alabama’s Montana Fouts in the circle, dropping the regional championship game to the Tide on Sunday, 5-0. Clemson finishes the season with a 44-8 record overall and 29-5 in the ACC, winners of the ACC Regular Season Championship in just its first full season of competition. Clemson also picked up its first two NCAA Tournament wins in program history with the two victories over Troy.

"It's been an outstanding year for our program," Clemson head coach John Rittman said thinking back on the historic season. "So happy for our players who experienced the success that we had in the short amount of time we've been playing."

Alabama moves on to the NCAA Super Regionals which they will host next weekend before the NCAA College World Series begins the following week. The Tigers were just two wins away from competing in a Super Regional and were snakebit by the selection committee's decision to send them to the Tuscaloosa Regional against the No. 3 Crimson Tide, which did not surrender a run in the three games they played over the weekend.

"We're going to enjoy the players and the season that we've had and put some closure on it in the next week," Rittman said. "So proud of this staff and this team and the things we've accomplished this year."

Alabama scored one run in the first and three in the second to open up a lead, and with one of the best pitchers in the nation, Alabama never looked back. Valerie Cagle got the start and recorded her second loss of the weekend. The ACC Player of the Year finished the season with a 28-7 overall record and had one of the best freshman campaigns in NCAA history.

Alabama took an early lead in the top of the first using a leadoff single and some stolen bases to plate a run on Cagle early. The Crimson Tide added to their lead in the following inning, hitting a three-run homer over the center field fence to increase the lead, 4-0.

The Tigers got their first hit of the game off Fouts in the third inning after Casey Bigham singled up the middle to lead off. Clemson was unable to get a rally going as the game headed to the fourth with the Tigers still trailing, 4-0.

Bama scored another run in the top half of the fourth taking advantage of a throwing error in the field by Clemson to plate a run and extend the lead, 5-0.

Clemson got a one-out baserunner in the fifth after Morgan Johnson was hit by a pitch, but two consecutive line-outs ended the inning and the scoring chance.

Cagle was replaced in the circle with two outs in the seventh inning, coming off the field and into the dugout to a standing ovation from the Clemson faithful and the Alabama fans in the crowd. Tears streamed down the redshirt freshman's face as she hugged her coaches and teammates as the season came to an end after the Tigers could not get anything going on offense in the home half of the inning (Clemson was the designated home team in the matchup).

"Starting those traditions that we'll be able to look back on down the road," an emotional Ansley Gilstrap said after the game on what will be some of her favorite memories from this season. "A lot of the pregame stuff, toeing the line and counting down the seconds to pregame starts, that's all pretty fun. Running by the wall and clapping everyone's hands after the game. The games too, like creating rivalries, especially Duke, it's all just so fun and I'll miss it."