No. 16 Tigers dominate first installment of rivalry at Gamecocks

Valerie Cagle put together another standout performance (Clemson athletics photo).

by Zachary Wagner - Correspondent - Wed Apr 21 21:34:52 GMT-04:00 2021

Behind a three-run first inning and another shutout in the circle from redshirt freshman Valerie Cagle, the No. 16 Clemson softball team took the first game in program history over in-state rival South Carolina in Columbia on Wednesday night, 6-0. The Tigers registered 10 hits and four players recorded multi-hit games on the night. The win marks the 13th consecutive win for Clemson.

It was just another night at the ballpark for Cagle, as the Virginia native picked up her 21st win of the season in the circle and threw a three-hit shutout, her ninth shutout of the season. Not only did she dominate in the circle over the Gamecocks, she also extended her hitting streak to 13 games with a two-run home run on the first pitch she saw in the top of the first. The redshirt freshman utility player was 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs and also struck out nine South Carolina batters.

True freshman outfielder McKenzie Clark hit her sixth home run of the season as well for the Tigers and Kyah Keller recorded an RBI at the plate and was 2-for-3 hitting.

Clemson moves to 33-4 overall on the season and finishes its non-conference schedule 11-0. The Tigers will be back in-action this weekend inside of McWhorter Stadium with a four-game series against a good NC State team. The series is set to open on Friday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m.

The Clemson chants came early and often in the first inning as the Tigers scored three runs with no outs and forced a Gamecock pitching change just four batters into the contest. The center fielder, Clark, started the game off with a six-pitch walk and scored the first run of the night the next batter after Gilstrap recorded her sixth double of the season. Cagle tripled the lead the next at-bat, smoking the first pitch she saw over the left field fence and the Tigers opened a 3-0 lead before South Carolina even knew what hit them.

The Gamecocks put together a scoring chance in the home half of the fourth, putting runners on second and third with two outs after Jordan Fabian doubled down the left field line. Cagle slammed the door shut on any momentum South Carolina was trying to build, registering her eighth strikeout of the night to get out of the jam.

Clemson doubled its lead in the top of the sixth, plating three runs on three hits to extend the lead, 6-0. The highlight of the inning was true freshman outfielder Clark’s sixth home run of the year, a two-run opposite-field shot with no outs.

South Carolina once again threatened in the sixth, putting runners in scoring position with two outs before Cagle got out of the jam for the second time in the game with a groundout to the shortstop.

Cagle sent the Gamecocks down in the seventh and recorded her 17th complete game of the season.

?? Postgame thoughts from Head Coach John Rittman (@rittmanjohn) on tonight’s 6-0 shutout in our first-ever matchup against South Carolina! pic.twitter.com/BXcnRjd6aQ
— Clemson Softball ?? (@clemsonsoftball) April 22, 2021

.@clemsonsoftball is 1-0 vs. South Carolina!

Valerie Cagle: complete game shutout with 9 strikeouts and a 2-run HR ?? pic.twitter.com/MZpo6eoPaw
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) April 22, 2021

McKenzie Clark goes yard??

Her sixth homer of the season extends our lead to 5-0 in the sixth.

?? SEC Network pic.twitter.com/87vC2Nyo5h
— Clemson Softball ?? (@clemsonsoftball) April 22, 2021