Tigers stay unbeaten with trouncing of Georgia

Clemson beat No. 16 UGA Tuesday evening (Photo courtesy of Clemson softball).

Nikki Hood - Staff Writer - Tuesday, February 21 2023

CLEMSON – A big first inning and another stellar performance by Valerie Cagle propelled fifth-ranked Clemson to a 7-1 victory over No. 16 Georgia at McWhorter Stadium Tuesday afternoon.

Cagle – the reigning ACC pitcher and co-player of the week – pitched a complete game giving up just one run on three hits. She threw just 80 pitches – 57 for strikes.

The Tigers registered three extra-base hits in the game: a home run by McKenzie Clark, a double by Caroline Jacobsen, and a triple by JoJo Hyatt.

During the first 11 games of the season, Clemson has outscored opponents 94-13, including 43-5 last week. The Tigers have run-ruled four opponents: FIU, Georgia State, No. 14/11 Northwestern, and Ohio State.

Clemson has 121 hits through 11 games, including posting 28 doubles and 22 home runs. The Tigers have 86 RBIs this season, with Valerie Cagle (13), Caroline Jacobsen (13), JoJo Hyatt (13), and Maddie Moore (10) leading the way. Nine Tigers have combined for 30 multi-hit games this season, led by Cagle.

Clemson’s offense picked up right where it left off from the weekend with a five spot in the bottom of the first.

Clark worked a full count and blasted a homerun well over the leftfield wall. Maddie Moore followed with a single to center field, and Cagle walked on five pitches to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Jacobsen laced a double into left-center, plating Moore.

Georgia starting pitcher Kylie Macy – who faced Clemson twice before transferring from Duke – was chased after just four batters and was replaced by Shelby Walters.

After Walters entered the game, Alia Logoleo laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Cagle. With runners on second and third, Hyatt shot the ball down the right field line for a bases-clearing triple to give the Tigers a 5-0 lead after one inning.

The Bulldogs didn’t register their first hit of the game until Jayda Kearney led off the fifth inning with an infield single. After the consecutive singles, Georgia had the bases loaded with nobody out. Cagle got a pop-out in foul territory for the first out, but Ellie Armistead beat out a double play ball allowing Kearney to score from third to cut Clemson’s lead to 5-1 midway through the fifth inning.

Walters settled things down for Georgia, keeping Clemson off the scoreboard until the sixth inning.

Hyatt got things started with a one-out single to left field. Arielle Oda came into run for Hyatt, a move that paid off as she stole second and came around to score on a throwing error by the pitcher. Abby Miklesh reached base on the error and scored on a hard-hit single to center field by Reedy Davenport to extend Clemson’s lead to 7-1 after six innings.

Clemson returns to action Thursday when they travel to Tampa, Florida, for the USF Tournament. The Tigers open with USF at 6 p.m.