CLEMSON, S.C. – With the bases loaded and a tie ballgame, catcher JoJo Hyatt delivered the walk-off bunt to seal the 3-2 comeback victory for the No. 6/6 Tigers against Pittsburgh on Friday evening at McWhorter Stadium. Clemson came back from a 2-1 deficit to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh to improve to 42-5 overall and 15-4 in ACC action, while Pitt drops to 21-20 (3-12 ACC).
Clemson batters combined for nine hits led by Ally Miklesh going 2-for-3 with a walk and one run scored. McKenzie Clark and Valerie Cagle also tallied two hits, while Alia Logoleo, Maddie Moore and Hyatt all tallied an RBI.
Pitt started the scoring in the top of the third inning with a solo home run to center field. The Tigers tied the game in the bottom half of the inning after Clark and Miklesh led off with back-to-back singles. Clark advanced to third as Caroline Jacobsen flew out to right field, and Logoleo tabbed her 40th RBI of the season with a single down the right-field line to plate Clark.
The Tigers made a push to score again in the fourth after Reedy Davenport hit a stand-up double off the left field wall, and Clark hit a slow roller down the line, but Clemson left both runners stranded. Pitt reclaimed the lead in the fifth with a hard hit double deep into left field to score a run to give them a 2-1 advantage with no outs.
Clemson advanced a runner around to third in the bottom of the sixth with only one out but would leave her stranded to head to the seventh trailing by one. The Tigers picked up three quick outs in the top of the seventh, including two strikeouts from Cagle in the circle, to head to the bottom with Miklesh, Cagle and Jacobsen due up.
Miklesh got the Tigers going with a leadoff single to right field. Cagle followed with a hard hit of her own to Pitt’s third baseman to put two Tigers on base with no outs. Jacobsen loaded the bases with a walk, and Moore brought in the tying run with her own walk. With one out and the bases still loaded, Hyatt hit a slow rolling bunt on the first pitch of her at bat less than five-feet down the third-base line that allowed Cagle to score and give Clemson the 3-2 victory.
Cagle made her 28th appearance in the circle and pitched her 16th-complete game on Friday evening. Through her seven innings of work, she struck out four, and improved to 21-3 on the year.
Up Next
Clemson and Pitt will continue the series on Saturday, April 22. First pitch is slated for noon on the ACC Network.
