CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Both Arielle Oda and Maddie Moore hit two-run homers to propel the No. 9/9 Tigers to a 8-5 victory against the Charlotte 49ers. Clemson finished the midweek matchup with seven hits led by Moore going 2-for-4. Both Oda and Moore led the Tigers with three RBIs, while Alex Brown picked up the final two RBIs.
Clemson got on the board in the second inning after Alia Logoleo knocked a two-out double into left field. With a runner in scoring position, Oda sent her first home run of the season, third of her career, out of the park to give the Tigers a 2-0 advantage.
The Tigers continued to storm ahead in the top of the third. Freshman Julia Knowler drew a walk and was quickly replaced by Julia Bomhardt as a pinch runner. Moore dropped a double into center field that allowed Bomhardt to race around and score. With two outs and a runner on second, both Lindsey Garcia and Logoleo drew walks to load the bases. Oda drew the third-consecutive walk for the Tigers to plate Moore from third and make it 4-0 in favor of the Tigers. Alex Brown added two insurance runs for the Tigers by hitting a single up the middle plating both Garcia and Logoleo. Charlotte got one run back in the bottom of the third off a sac fly to make it 6-1 after three.
Moore responded for the Tigers in the fourth with a two-run shot of her own. After Valerie Cagle reached on an error by the 49ers third baseman, Moore sent the third pitch of her at-bat out of right field for a two-run homer and her second home run of 2024. Moore scored both herself and Kennedy Ariail, who was pinch running for Cagle. Charlotte answered with a solo homer to make it 8-2 through four.
Charlotte added three more runs in the bottom of the seventh with two outs, but Clemson picked up the final out to secure the 8-5 victory.
Junior Brooke McCubbin picked up her fourth win of the season in the circle after tossing 77 pitches, 50 strikes, over the course of four innings with four strikeouts. She was replaced in the top of the fifth by senior Regan Spencer. Spencer threw two innings with one strikeout before Olivia Duncan replaced her in the seventh. Duncan tallied two outs before Cagle was brought in to pick up the final out.
Up Next
The Tigers will open the 2024 home slate this weekend hosting the Clemson Classic from Feb. 23-25. Weekend action is slated to begin on Friday, Feb. 23 at 4 p.m. against Ole Miss. Single game tickets are available online or at the gate for every home game this season, and both live stat and links to watch are available on the Clemson Softball schedule page.
