Clemson Walks Off USC Upstate, 10-2, to Open NCAA Regional

CLEMSON, S.C. – The 11th-seeded Clemson Softball team broke open a 2-2 ball game with three runs in the fourth inning and five in the fifth inning to secure a 10-2 run-rule victory over USC Upstate in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament at McWhorter Stadium. ACC Champion Clemson, ranked 13th nationally, improved to 45-12 on the season, while Upstate fell to 39-15. 

Clemson Regional Central

Kylee Johnson hit a three-run fourth-inning home run to give Clemson a 5-2 lead, a game after hitting the go-ahead home run in the ACC Championship game the previous Sunday. In the fifth inning, four consecutive Tigers earned RBI hits, including freshman Taylor Pipkins, who knocked in the final of three consecutive doubles to walk it off for the Tigers. 

Freshman Marian Collins went 3-for-3 with three runs batted in as Clemson totaled ten hits. 

Despite the Tigers getting on the board first off an RBI single by Collins in the second, USC Upstate responded with two runs in the top of the third to take the lead.

With two outs in the third, Alex Brown drew her second walk of the day to put a runner on for Maddie Moore to drive her 11th and team’s 95th double off the left center fence to even things at 2-2. This was Moore’s 65th RBI of the year and Brown’s 64th run – both of which are single-season program records. Following the day, Clemson has 98 doubles on the season.

Clemson claimed the lead in the bottom of the fourth on Johnson’s home run that came after an Aby Vieira walk, a Collins single, and a Pipkins fielder’s choice. 

In the fifth inning, Clemson’s bats again came alive with Moore and Kennedy Ariail on-base, Macey Cintron singled to center to bring in Moore. Vieira followed with her 17th double of the year, scoring Ariail. Ava Wilson came on to run for Cintron and was promptly sent home along with Vieira on Collins’s double. Pipkins ended it with a double to score Collins. 

Senior Reese Basinger made her first NCAA Regional start in the circle. She pitched 2.1 innings before senior Brooke McCubbin entered in relief, going the final 2.2 innings to improve to 17-5 on the year. 

Up Next

The Tigers return to McWhorter Stadium on Saturday, May 17 where they will take on Northwestern. First pitch is slated for 1:30 p.m. The winner of that contest will play Sunday at 1 p.m., while the loser will play at 6:30 p.m.