TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Clemson Tigers dropped the opening game of the Tuscaloosa Regional, 6-2, to the Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions on Friday afternoon. Following the loss, Clemson moves to 34-18 on the year, while Southeastern Louisiana improves to 46-13.
Valerie Cagle (8-7) got the start in the circle and pitched 2.2 innings for the Tigers. She opened the game with back-to-back strikeouts to get the Tigers out of the first inning. In the second, catcher Aby Vieira fired a throw down to second to catch a runner stealing to assist Clemson’s defense while things stayed level at 0-0.
Southeastern Louisiana plated three in the top of the third inning after four singles were able to move runners around. The Tigers made the pitching change from right-handed starter, Cagle, to lefty Millie Thompson with two outs. Thompson came in and recorded an out against the next batter to end the inning as the Lady Lions led 3-0.
The Lady Lions plated three more runs in the top of the fifth inning to double their lead after a walk and overturned call put two on with only one out. A single to center field scored two runs, and a single to first plated the third to make it 6-0 in Southeastern Louisiana’s favor heading to the bottom of the fifth.
Clemson got one run back in the bottom half of the inning after Arielle Oda was hit by a pitch. McKenzie Clark and Alex Brown loaded the bases with a single and a walk, respectively, to bring Maddie Moore to the plate. Moore reached on a fielder’s choice that had Oda’s scoring from third to make it 6-1 after five.
Junior Brooke McCubbin entered the circle for the Tigers in the top of the sixth inning. She picked up two strikeouts, including one swinging to end the inning, to end the inning and force the Lady Lions to leave runners stranded.
Clemson added one additional run in the sixth after Lindsey Garcia and Julia Knowler hit back-to-back singles to open the inning. Garcia advanced to third after a pop out to put runners on the corners with one out. Garcia scored on a single from Vieira down the left-field line to make it 6-2 in SLU’s favor.
The Tigers attempted to use the momentum of a double play turned in the top of the seventh to spark an offensive comeback that had Moore clocking her second hit of the game but weren’t able to convert it to a run to drop the opening game of the Tuscaloosa Regional, 6-2.
Up Next
Clemson will take on USC Upstate in an elimination game on Saturday, May 18 at 5:30 p.m. ET.
