Clemson extends streak to get one step closer to ACC crown |
The Clemson softball team won its 19th game in a row in game one of the doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, taking down Syracuse 4-2 at Skytop Stadium in New York. With the win, if the Tigers win game two of the day, Clemson will be crowned the 2021 ACC Regular Season Champions in just its first full season of competition.
The Tigers scored three runs in the top of the fifth to take the lead and never looked back. Marissa Guimbarda hit her team-leading tying 12th home run of the season, a two-run no doubt shot to take the lead after Syracuse jumped out to an early 2-0 lead. The true freshman duo of Millie Thompson and Regan Spencer led the way in the circle for John Rittman in the circle. Thompson picks up her 8th win of the season and has now won eight consecutive starts. Regan Spencer entered the circle in the sixth inning and picked up her first career save, this one coming of the six-out variety. The teams will meet back on the diamond approximately 30 minutes following the conclusion of game one. Likely to see Valerie Cagle in the circle as the ACC Regular Season Championship is on the line. Syracuse got out of a jam early, turning a double play with a Clemson runner in scoring position to keep a run off the board in the first inning. Syracuse took the first lead of the game in the bottom of the second, scoring two runs on a one-out two RBI double to left center field. Thompson recorded back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the runner on second jam and kept the game 2-0. Clemson cut the lead in half in the third after scoring a run on a fielder's choice with one out. The Tigers threatened to score more, loading the bases but a looking strikeout left them all stranded and kept the deficit at one, 2-1. The Orange threatened once again in the home half of the inning, putting runners on second and third with two outs. The true freshman in the circle fought back to record a swinging strikeout to keep anymore runs off the board and get the offense back to the plate. The Tigers took the lead in the top of the fifth, scoring two on a Guimbarda two-run home run to right center. Off the bat, the Syracuse center fielder turned, but did not take a step towards the fence as the redshirt junior launched her 12th homer of the season to give Clemson its first lead. The catcher, JoJo Hyatt, continued the rally with two outs, lining a double between the center and right fielder and scoring Alia Logoleo from second to double the lead, 4-2. It was just Hyatt’s ninth run driven in of the season, and could not have come at a bigger moment. Spencer sent the Orange down 1-2-3 in the seventh, securing the Tigers' 19th consecutive win and a chance at the ACC championship. Marissa Guimbarda's (@mguimbarda) 12th home run of the season flips the scoreboard to give us the lead in the fifth?? The final out ?? pic.twitter.com/ZL8IlbzP7C
?? ACCNX (https://t.co/qCd5XA05C2) pic.twitter.com/rDef5CrnEM
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